


The Girl with Pink Hair

by CherryBlossom402



Category: Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi - Fandom, kakasaku - Fandom, sakura - Fandom
Genre: Drama, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forbidden Love, Haruno - Freeform, Lemon, Moral Dilemmas, Romance, Shinobi, Smut, Strong Female Characters, Strong Haruno Sakura, War, dominant Kakashi, strong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:43:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 49
Words: 294,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryBlossom402/pseuds/CherryBlossom402
Summary: Book One in The Haruno SeriesBurned by a cursed seal Sakura Haruno is forced to rip up her roots from the Leaf Village and thrown to the wolves as she is banished by Tsuande. Five years pass, Sakura rises as Commander of the Waterfall Village and must return to the leaf to save them from the growing threat known as the 'Reapers'A Sakura and Kakashi love Story
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Katou Dan/Tsunade, Nohara Rin/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 161
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

The air was chilly against my exposed flesh. It wrapped its cold strands of silk around my arms trying to nip out all the warmth I had stored. Letting out an annoyed breath I looked towards the sky as a deep dread filled my soul.

The morning sun was yawning ignoring my presence as it spread its golden rays of light for us all to see. It has been five years since I had returned to the home that birthed me; the village hidden in the leafs.

It was a warm afternoon when the last day of my training with Tsunade came to pass. I can still recall the day so clearly. I remember the sun most of all, how warm and inviting it felt when it embraced me.

Tsunade was barking out orders with the faint smell of liquor lingering on her breath. She was carelessly tossing jutsu at me, that was all her training was.

An hour and a half of this repetitive session glazed by. I felt hot from the heat; my shirt clung to my skin sticky with sweat, but I knew I did not have to wait long. Once the bottle of rum in her hand was low, she would stop for the day so she could get to the store in time before they closed to restock. I was so close to being let out of my training with Tsunade then I would be able to run off and find my shinobi team who consisted of Naruto, Kakashi and sometimes Sai.

It was not until a rogue group of shinobi snuck into the leaf village and tried to strike down my mentor, was the event which permanently ended my training with Tsunade as well as ending my life inside the leaf village as I knew it... 

The shinobi were so strong, too strong for me to handle on my own and with Tsunade drunk from her day drinking we stood no chance for survival. I remember lying on my back, the dirt felt gritty against my skin. I had deep desperate breaths being pulled quickly into my lungs due to the deep gash on my side leaking out blood. All I could do in that moment was watch as they beat Tsunade, she fell from her knees onto the burnt grass unmoving. 

When I thought back to this moment in my life, I can still feel that pressure freely swirling around inside my chest. It felt so tight, like my rib cage was constantly being pumped with dry scorched air and I praying to burnt open. 

Then the heat ignited.

God it was so hot. 

It was like my skin was sizzling against my own bones, scorching the muscle and organs inside my body. The last thing I remember before blacking out was the sensation I was raising to my feet. I thought this feeling was just a mixture of hallucinations and dehydration because I was not that person, I was not the hero that rose against struggle and tipped the scales between good and evil. 

I am not strong enough to raise after being knocked down. 

My next memory was of Tsunade, she hovered over my face and she appeared to be screaming at me but her words were like bubbles, floating away as I gaze above me at the puffy white clouds in the sky as darkness reached out ripping me back down into its pool of sleep. I remember Tsunade's facial features from that day so clearly because I had never seen her look so petrified before then.

When I woke and found Tsunade, she explained to me that I had forced the strength of one hundred seals to appear on my forehead which was how I rose to my feet, it was how I took down those rogue shinobi and saved Tsunade's life. My mark was different from hers; it was blue while hers was purple. Tsunade's mark remained on her forehead while mine vanished when not in use. 

Tsunade said this could be because I forced my seal and did not truly earn it. The next day went as it normally as it could, I did my rounds at the leaf village hospital. I ate lunch alone since my team was too busy and then met up with Tsunade at the training grounds. She had her favorite bottle of rum in her hand, some things will never change. She told me to get ready and then summoned a wave of fire, little to my knowledge I could not control the forced strength of my new seal and in return I destroyed the training grounds with one wave of my hand.

I didn't feel pride like Naruto would have, I foolishly felt fear as I spun around looking for Tsunade. She was staring at me with wide eyes as her half empty bottle of rum slid from her fingers and shattered on the ground. That had to be some cheap glass to shatter on a patch of dirt. As I displayed my newfound strength, it was like I turned on a faucet that I could not shut off. 

There was a hungry sensation that built up pressure, it wanted to explode from inside my rib cage. I felt an urge pounding against my skull, my body wanted to go against my command and involuntary release damage on the nearby surroundings. I explained this to Tsunade, because I was her scared student and she was my sensei, she was supposed to protect me no matter how scary I seemed. Tsunade backed away from me as I approached her, her hands were raised keeping me feet away from her as if I held an infectious disease.

Tsunade told me she would go quickly do some research on what to do, and that I was to stay inside the training grounds. I watched her flee, leaving me alone with swirling questions scratching from within my skull. I thought she was leaving me alone to protect the other people of the village. I didn't want to be walking through the village, flick my finger as a wave of damage bloomed in its path. So, I stayed put and leaned against a tree hugging my knees for hours, waiting. 

As the sun fell asleep and night bloomed across the sky my stomach rumbled. I picked myself up, believing it would be safe enough for me to enter town because most of the town's folk should be inside their homes by now. I walked through the streets as that summer night grew stiff and cold. 

I didn't feel like this place was my home, I felt like a stranger walking through the sidewalks I grew up on. I spotted Kakashi and Naruto, they were sitting at the red bar in Ichiraku Ramen. I felt the last smile I would ever have while inside the leaf village bloom onto my lips as tears flourished in my eyes. I picked up my speed to reach them, as if they were my lantern in this darkness. 

"Naruto!" I called out, "Kakashi-Sensei!" The two slightly turned their heads to see who was calling out their names.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled. "Where have you been all day?" Naruto wondered.

"Well I kind of need to talk to you about-"

"Hey!" Naruto bounced on his stool. "Guess what!?"

"Uh...What?" I flashed a fake smile.

"Kakashi and I were training, and he said that I-"

"You guys were training without me?" I felt a tingle in my heart.

"Well-Well you were with Tsunade and so..." Naruto babbled on about what he and Kakashi trained on today. 

They did this a lot, trained without me or 'forget' to invite me to their sessions. Kakashi has never given me a private lesson, it was almost as if he believed I was a waste of his time. Naruto was his golden student and I was just...I looked away from them as Naruto went on talking. What was I to them?

"Listen-" I said, cutting Naruto off. "Yesterday I-"

"Jezz Sakura." Naruto muttered taking a bite of his ramen.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Just cut me off...I wasn't done talking." Naruto explained further. I looked away from Naruto and towards Kakashi, waiting for him to defend the fact Naruto cut me off first.

"Sakura!" I jumped at the angry voice that sparked from behind us. I slowly turned, praying to not see her image but I knew her voice better than I knew my own. Tsunade stood behind me, her arms on her hips looking displeased.

"Ooo." Naruto mocked. "Someone is in trouble." He sang. I shot a glare; you would never know this kid just turned seventeen with how he acted sometimes. "You were supposed to wait for me, Sakura." Tsunade's voice was forced, I studied her posture trying to read her, but I couldn't read people like Kakashi could.

"I-I" I heard my voice and my brain was making words for me to use but nothing came out. It was like the words were getting scrambled together in a jumbled mess inside my throat.

"Come Sakura." Tsunade said, raising a handout gesturing me to follow her. I looked back at Kakashi, I wanted to talk to him- "Now." Tsunade added. 

I swallowed the lump of failed words in my throat turning from my team, leaving the warmth of Ramen Ichiraku I followed Tsunade without question, like I had been taught to do. I glanced back, seeing Naruto and Kakashi had turned back to their meals and conversations as if I had never interrupted. 

Was that all I was to them? 

As I followed Tsunade, I noticed she never made eye contact with me. Her research must not have been good for her to be acting this way, I prepared for longer training hours and maybe not being around other people for a while. I followed Tsunade to the front gates of the leaf village, there I saw four masked black ops waiting.

I turned to Tsunade with my eyebrows pulled together reflecting my confusion onto my face.

"Sakura-" Once again, Tsunade would not look at me. "-you have to leave."

"What-?" I pulled my eyes off my parents and onto Tsunade who still wouldn't look in my direction. "-leave?"

"Yes." She confirmed.

"Where? Like on a mission?" I wondered, was this my first solo mission!?

"No, Sakura you are no longer apart of the Leaf Village." Tsunade corrected my thoughts.

"H-How can-can you-"

"You are a danger to the Leaf Village and its people!" Tsunade snapped. "You are hereby banished from this village!" 

The leaf village was my home. My family, friends and entire life was rooted within these walls, I didn't want to leave. To end the pointless bickering Tsuande threatened the safety of my parents, she claimed they would be thrown into the leafs jail if I did not leave. I was shoved a messy bag that my father had been forced to pack.

I turned to the cracked open gates of my village, I gazed through into the circulating darkness, she dared me to step into her as she bared her teeth at me, I knew she would swallow me whole.

I begged Tsunade to change her mind, I had nowhere to go, my heart was pounding so hard my chest was beginning to hurt. I had no ties with any other village, no family outside of these walls to run to for help. 

Tsunade did not give me the courtesy of set up any living arrangements for me, she truly did not want me to stand for the leaf village in any way. She was ready to throw me to the wolves and not look back. Tsunade simply wanted to wash away the problem, even if that meant banishing her sixteen-year-old student. 

With one last look over my shoulder, still begging Tsunade with my wide terror filled eyes. I took my first step out of the village and onto an unknown path that lacked light to search out a place I could live and not end up hurting innocent people.

My future never looked so dark.


	2. Chapter 2

After Tsunade banished me from the leaf village, I lived inside the forest for three days, praying for Tsunade to come to her senses and let me come home. Tsunade never did and I learned very quickly on the third night when I ran out of food that I was now on my own. I was no longer a resident of the village hidden in the leaves. 

I was a threat to it, and I would be taken down as such if found nearby. Thanks to my father, he scraped some money together for me. It nearly broke my heart to leave but I had too, the pain of being banished and easily forgotten by my own team pained me deeply. When Sasuke left the village, Naruto nearly shattered the heavens in order to bring him home.

But when I vanish, I could hear the grasshoppers all around me as I waited for my team to rush in and fight for me, the people who trained with me for my enter shinobi career, the same people who were supposed to have my back no matter what because we were trained to die for each other! It was like a bucket of ice water was tipped over my head and I opened my eyes for the first time.

Why was I fighting for a home that did not want me? 

I knew my parents would be safe as long as I don't wonder back to the village. Tsunade quickly explained before slamming the gates on me, that for one year if I was to remain away she would leave my parents be. If they wish to leave the leaf village after the full year was up to find me then they may. I wasn't even sure at the time if my parents knew the truth about what had happened on that night to me.

But it didn't matter now, this meant I had one year to figure out what the hell I was going to do because I was sure if my parents were to find out what had happened they would loath Tsunade for what she had done to me, they would want to leave the leaf village in order to be with their daughter who was just a minor. 

I wandered around lost for months, hopping place to place. My strength was tripled, my emotions were in overdrive and I could not control any of it. When I got overly emotional--because what sixteen-year-old doesn't get overly emotional?--something always exploded and then I would be chased out of town and I would have to start over again. 

Wash, rinse, and repeat.

It was months after being banished, I was sitting inside a small port town staring out into the water feeling sorry for myself when two men approached me. They could feel the power vibrating off me, it was like a fucking beacon for crazies. But these two brothers needed a favor, they were attracted to me because of my power felt 'familiar' was the word they used. 

They believed I could help them in freeing their mother. Because my life had been going so swimmingly their mother was no other than freaking Kaguya Otsutsuki. The same woman who had a mental breakdown, tried taking all the chakra back and the same person Naruto and Sasuke sealed away. 

No way in hell was I going to get mixed up in this freaking mess, no way!

Long story short...I got mixed up in the brother's mess.

They preached that Kaguya could help me contain my strength and I could return to my normal life. I was so utterly desperate, so tired and hungry...I fed into their words because I was starving to return to my small life inside the leaf village. Adulting was hard and I did not want to do it at the age of sixteen. 

I had no idea what the value a dollar was when I was first banished or how to make one stretch. I was so underwhelming prepared for life, I questioned everything I learned in school because nothing I learned was helping me in the real freaking world. I wanted to slap Iruka-Sensei for not teaching me the value of money or how live on a budget. 

The more I got to know the brothers, the more I grew to trust them. They claimed Kaguya would be set free as the loving mother they knew and not the crazed chakra hungry person I knew. I agreed to free Kaguya in order to help me learn how to live with what has happened to me, because I had no other options. 

I wanted to see my parents, I missed my father's lame jokes and my mother sweet smile.

It took two months of preparation and in those months, I grew close to the brothers, I viewed them as friends. Did they do the same? I am still not sure because they died the day we broke Kaguya's seal open. Needless to say that was a rough week, meeting your new mentor as you stand beside the dead bodies of her two reincarnated sons does not put you off to a good start. 

After a lot of crying and placing blame where it did not belong, Kaguya finally agreed to train me. Kaguya looked like a normally person, she did not have her horns and she lost her third eye, she claimed it was a gift for me which I did not understand at the time, and I truly did not care. I was so stuck on the thought of placing myself on the path to go back home, to the leaf village. I get this power under control, Tsunade will have no reason to turn me away.

I could probably stand beside Naruto and Kakashi without being engulfed in their shadows. I held hope in my heart for the first time since the day Tsunade got so drunk she could not defend herself and when I did what I had to do to protect us, I got banished as a thank you. Kaguya and I set off to a forgotten region of the world to train in private and that was the true start of my life. 

We grew together as people; we built a village side by side. We were marked the Waterfall Village after two years; it was such a beautiful place. People flocked to us from all over and we began building homes and business. The Waterfall Village grew into a force no one could touch. I held my head high after all the fucked-up years of training Kaguya dragged me through, all the black op missions and teams I was placed on, because of all of that I was declared the waterfall village's commander. 

A position I never thought I would earn because I was simply the best.

If I could go back to the girl who was sitting in that little port town, and give her advice when those two brothers approached her, I would tell her to run as far and as fucking fast as she possibly could because the price I had to pay for Kaguya's training is not worth it, not by a long shot. 

When my second year with Kaguya rolled around, I discovered the 'gift' she gave me when I freed her from her seal. It was her third eye, the rinne sharingan. Kaguya claimed by bloodline was now special, she never gave me an answer as to why give me the rinne sharingan. I concluded that she didn't want to go power hungry again and so in order to do that she gave me some of her power so history doesn't repeat itself.

With her guidance and a handful of years I was able to contain the raging power inside me. I learned how to lead and how to make the hard choices that comes in life. I learned what the fuck taxes were. Many shinobi groups have tried to come to the waterfall village and tried to take over. I make sure they all fail, because of this the village hidden behind the waterfalls became the most peaceful place on earth. 

It became my home. 

While I placed roots inside the overgrowing waterfall village, my parents moved out of the leaf village, but my mother did not wish to follow me once she saw how fast I grew up. She believed I did not need them to hold my hand. My mother and father decided to move to the grass village.

My mother would tell me stories about how the grass was so green it appeared blue. After a two years of my parents move, the grass village was hit by a large organization known as Reapers; my parents died by the hands of this group. 

I had been placed on a special black ops team made of nine different people who did not belong to a village. We moved as freely as we wished and answered to no one, we were unstoppable. I had broken off from my team and gone under cover inside the Reapers. While in the middle of my investigation in this power-hungry group I got a call that the grass village was being attacked and burned to the ground. 

I got to the village in time to see my best friend getting a sword stabbed through her chest and my parents were behind her already dead on the ground. I blew my cover and I vowed to cripple and extinguish the Reapers no matter what it cost me; I was ready to pay the high prize for revenge.

I slowly opened my eyes; hearing sounds start to shape in the distance. I slowly lifted my head to see a faded outline of an object I never thought I would see again. After all these years, they needed the waterfall villages help. I almost felt vomit swim up my throat at the thought of offering a helping hand out to these people. Kaguya insisted, loving the paycheck the leaf village was willing to fork over. 

So here I travel feeling more and more agitated the closer I get to the village who turned their back on an innocent sixteen-year-old girl who was just scared and had no control on her power. The gates to the hidden Leaf Village were right before me, staring down at me, I stood there for a moment. Every fiber of my being told me to flip them off and walk away, but I could hear Kaguya lecturing me in the back of my head. She just had to fucking pick me to come to this hell hole.

I shook my head at my thoughts as I moved to push myself into the village. I showed my paperwork to the guard on duty, showing him that the Hokage had summoned my happy ass here. I muttered a thank you as he approved me to enter. I glanced around the area as I walked to the Hokage Tower, the streets were bare and silent. 

It was fantastic.

It was high noon, so chances were everyone was in classes, work or in training. I had perfect timing. As I studied the area, not a lot had really changed around this place. Maybe some new paint here and there but it was like someone put this place in a bottle and stored them on a shelf for safe keeping. 

I reached the Hokage tower in record time, my logic was the faster I get this done, the fast I can leave. I walked up the stairs that I had once walked up a thousand times a day. I knocked on a door that I use to ignore and run right through. I could almost see a ghost of a girl I no longer knew running past me.

"Come in." Her voice sounded the same on my last training day with her, lazy and a little bored. I never thought a moment like this would face me, I never expected after meeting Kaguya and accepting the fact I could no longer turn back to the life I had inside the leaf village that I would have to face Tsunade again. 

I didn't practice what I would say to her if I ever saw her again. I didn't dream up a speech every night like most people figured I would have. I opened her office door without another thought. Instantly we locked eyes. It was like years had never passed her because of her jutsu she used to change her appearance. She looked flawless with her blazing amber eyes that use to wake me up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat. She stood without words and quickly walked over to me.

I halfway hoped she would try to slap me for entering the leaf village. If she slapped me then I could hit her without having to deal with Kaguya and a matching headache later.

"Sakura!" She breathed my name, pulling me into a hug to my surprise. My arms were pinned to my side as all I did was stand in place with wide eyes. This was not the reaction I was expecting. This was awkward. After a solid freaking minute Tsunade let go of me but held my shoulders as if when she let me go, I would evaporate. Damn how I wish I could evaporate out of this room right now. "Your hair! It is so long I love it!" She smiled at me. "You have grown older!"

"So have you." That earned me a glare.

"How have you been?" Tsunade asked, I raised an eyebrow. She wasn't going to comment on my remark of her age? I for sure through her face would grew beat red, she would scream and start throwing things. When I think about it, how this woman is a village leader?

"Tsunade." I stated, not interested in small talk.

"Oh! You have a little southern twang in your voice! It's so cute-" I did in a small way blame Tsunade for my parent's deaths. If she hadn't been such a coward, then I would never had been kicked out and my parents would never of left the village. They would not have been inside the grass village when the Reapers attacked. "Yes?" Tsunade smiled, it made me a little nauseous watching her engulf my image as if she was starving for it. She had no right to act the way she was right now.

"Who is the threat to your village?" I questioned, Tsunade requested of all freaking places the waterfall village for help. True, we were the strongest now, but we were also the farthest village from the leaf. The letter Tsunade sent said the leaf village had a threat and Kaguya thought it could be the Reapers expanding away from the waterfall village since I keep killing them all, earning me the title 'Reaper of Reapers'.

"Huh?" Tsunade sounded clueless. Seriously how was this person a village leader?

"You called me here, you said the Leaf Village was in danger."

"You're with the Waterfall Village?" Tsunade gasped, almost sounding genuinely surprised but I wasn't sixteen anymore, I knew she was lying. Explains why she requested the farthest and most expensive village.

"Yes." I answered dryly. "Do you know who the threat against your village is?" I rephrase my question to her.

"Not now." She waved moving back to sit behind her desk.

"Excuse me?" I tilted my head, beginning to feel extremely pissed off.

"I want to explain it only once, there is a village wide meeting in a week about what is going on. You will find out then."

"Yeah, no." I laughed, looking away from her for a moment. How could I not see this bullshit coming all the way. "I am not going to fucking wait around a week for you to let me do my job, tell me who the threatening you and I'll-"

"Why did the Waterfall Village only send you?" Tsunade cut in. "I thought they would send a team or like a high up-"

"They sent their Commander." I intercepted, not in the mood for anymore bullshit. "I can ensure you, that is plenty."

"Co-Commander?" Tsunade stared at me for a moment. "Congratulations." She said to me. I didn't her appraisal, I just needed the details of this case so I can kill whoever needs to die today so return to my village, where I am needed and want to be. "Here." She handed me a cream color folder after she saw I was not moving from this spot without the information I needed. I opened it, it was full of money and a key.

"What is this for?" I asked

"Do you expect for me to let you sleep outside? Or to let you go hungry?"

"I don't need this." I said tossing it on her desk, "I won't be here long enough-"

"Oh? You believe you can find-"

"I know I can track down whoever is causing your village trouble within the day and I can be on my way by night fall. I just need you to tell me what is going on, you didn't give much information in your letter."

"Hm." Tsunade nodded, leaning back in her chair. "You have changed-"

"Lady Tsunade, I would appreciate it if you refrained from bringing up any personal items." No way in hell was I going to reminisce with Tsunade.

"I understand...." Tsunade trailed off not knowing how to address me.

"Commander Haruno." I filled in for her. Tsunade nodded, but I saw the smile crack on her mouth and that annoyed me. My achievements should not make her feel pride.

"Well, Commander Haruno-" She tasted my name on her tongue, "-I did send the Waterfall Village a large sum of money and inside that payment included a submission."

"A what?" My voice rushed out aggressive and I did not care to fix it. Kaguya did not say anything about a side mission this was not a fucking video game.

"You heard me." Tsunade smiled, leaning over desk laying her head on her hand as if she enjoyed watching me. 

I was going to murder Kaguya when I returned.

"What is the mission?" I sighed; I was starting to see why Kaguya urged me to go on this fucking mission. Tsunade slid the folder back to me,

"You're going to need this."

"No, whatever your mission is I can-" "

"You will be placed on a team for it."

"I don't think so."

"Your village already agreed, Commander." Tsunade didn't bother fixing the smudged smirk on her face, I was really going to kill Kaguya. She better enjoy rolling in the payment from the leaf village because when I get back, I am going to shove it up her ass. "Your temporary team should be reporting in any moment now." 

I had a feeling Tsunade planned this from the start. I sucked in a deep breath as I bit my jaw shut, I picked up the file from Tsunade's desk. After five minutes of the awkward silent tension between Tsunade and myself there was a knock on her office door. I felt them before I could see or hear them. They didn't wait for a response before opening Tsunade's door and breaking the sweet silence.

"We are late because of you!" Sasuke's voice snapped at the blond headed boy. I heard Sasuke returned to the village not long after I was banished. It sounded as if Sasuke never renounced his citizenship from the leaf village and declared war against them.

"I was hungry!" Naruto defended himself

"You are always hungry."

"I am not!" Naruto whined, he seemed to be the same person he was when I left. My last memory of him was faded and chipped in the back of my mind.

"Yes, you are." Sasuke stated, as if you could end a conversation with Naruto.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Sakura?" Kakashi's deep voice breathed my name, I turned around from having my back facing them. 

This was a moment I never wanted to occur, I never desired to see these people again. Once I was fully facing them the three men in front of me had shut up, loss of all words they just took in my presence. I believe this was the longest I ever saw Naruto go silent. 

It was like they were staring at a ghost, which I was. I gazed at my once team, the same team that did not go after me as I waited in the forest for them. I waited for Naruto to blow the nation apart as he did for Sasuke and I waited for Kakashi to fight for me, but they didn't.

Kakashi stood there like time had not affected him. Naruto had grown up; time was kind to him as he looked at me with wide eyes and an agape mouth. Sasuke, this was the first time I was seeing him since he had left the hidden leaf village and left me on that bench passed out in the middle of the night, because that was the safest thing to do to a fourteen-year-old. Team seven had grown up I wanted to be proud of them since they were my childhood, but I felt no emotion as a gazed at them. There was sliver of me that wanted to punch them for their careless behavior, but I didn't care enough to raise my fist.

"Sakura!" Naruto screamed my name; his voice rang in my ears causing pain. 

We were a confined space; he was yelling as if we were fucking outside. Naruto ran forward, pulling me into a tight hug which I was not expecting. I was waiting for the yelling and questions. I felt my body tense as he wrapped his arms around me, this felt unnatural to me as an urge to push him away begin to grow in the pit of my stomach. 

"Your alive!" Naruto's voice shook as his was bent down holding me against his body. Was he crying? "We all thought you were dead!" Naruto added to the tail of his comment. 

Dead? 

Was that what Tsunade spread around about my disappearance? 

Was that really the best she could come up with?

Naruto pulled away and I saw the large goofy smile on his lips as he looked down at me. He was no longer shorter than me, he was at least a foot taller now. But the tears in his eyes told me this was still the same boy from my childhood. The mask on my face remained as Kakashi moved to Naruto's side. Kakashi was still taller than Naruto. He had his hands in his pockets as he smiled at me with his one exposed eye.

"It's good to see you Sakura." Kakashi said. I only stared at him, as Tsunade stepped in.

"Alright! Team seven, are you ready to receive your mission?" She asked looking at the small stack of paper in front of her.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked walking into sight, he moved forward passing where Kakashi and Naruto stood with his arms blooming into an embrace. An embrace I use to crave as a child, but now I took a step back.

"No." I said, Sasuke looked confused in my action.

"Now!" Tsunade pulled attention off me and onto herself. "Now that you all have reintroduced yourselves-"

"Wait!" Naruto yelled extending his right arm and pointed at Tsunade, "You knew Sakura was alive this entire time!?" Seemed Naruto wasn't as slow. Tsunade and I locked eyes.

"Yes-" She lied, "-now, back to business." Naruto almost fell onto the floor at Tsunade's casual remark.

"Tsunade-" Kakashi stepped into the conversation. I noticed how he didn't call Tsunade, Lady Tsunade they dropped the formalities. How interesting "-what Naruto is trying to ask is, why did you not tell us Sakura was alive?" Kakashi's casual voice made Tsunade sigh. 

Was she really going to answer honestly after all these years?

"Sakura has the strength of one hundred seals." Tsunade sounded like she was going to start a speech...fantastic...note all the fucking sarcasm.

"Really?" Sasuke asked sounding impressed, fuck him.

"Her seal is not like mine; it vanishes if it is not being used, and the power it held was nothing I had ever seen before and Sakura could not control it when she unlocked it." Tsunade explained calmly, as if that is the full truth behind those two days five years ago. "She was the one who destroyed the training grounds. So I sent her away to be trained-" I raised my eyebrow at her. 

Is that how she remembered it?

"Trained by who?" Naruto wondered.

"That, is for Sakura to tell." Everyone looked at me as if I was an open fucking book.

"What is the mission?" I asked changing the subject.

"Mission?" Naruto asked. "You are going with us!?" Naruto was still so eager.

"She is." Tsunade answered for me with a nod.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, I watched him do a little dance out of excitement.

"I need you four to travel to the land of whirlpools and collect the money they owe the Leaf Village for construction materials and supplies. It should not take more than three days to travel there. Get the money and travel back. So, this mission should not take more than six days. You four should be back in time for the village wide meeting with plenty of time to spare."

"Yes granny!" Naruto cheered. Tsunade glared and started string together insults.

"Sakura-" She called my name, she dropped my title off my name real quick, "-you have been traveling for a while now, you must go get some rest and go eat something as well!" She smiled at me as if she was allowed too. Then she turned to Naruto. "Get out of my office!" He ran out of the room with a few objects flying after him. I followed due to my freaking head hurting and not wanting to be in the same room as Tsunade for longer than I had to be. I might change my mind about being civil and throw her through a window.

I made my way down the hall from where I had come, turned the corner and came face to face with none other than fucking team seven. They were in a group talking until they saw me, Naruto smiled pulling his dominate arm behind him to rub his neck like he did when he got nervous.

"So, Sakura...are you hungry?" He asked me.

"You just ate." Sasuke muttered not realizing Naruto was talking to me. 

Classic Sasuke, thinking everyone and every conversation revolves around him.

"No." I answered bluntly, pulling my attention off them and moving towards the front doors of the Hokage Tower.

"Wai-Wait!" Naruto yelled after me. 

I ignored him as I walked out into the dying afternoon of the leaf village. I took in the surroundings around me, like this moment was the first time I was seeing the leaf village. It was like I was on auto pilot when I first got here, I scanned the area and found myself hating the fact I was standing here. I was disgusted, and I felt even more anger towards Kaguya for making me return to this pit of forgotten moments and painful memories. 

I began my walk to the apartment Tsunade was allowing me to use while I stayed here. I felt team seven following me and I could feel Naruto's brain scrambling to come up with something to talk about. I knew they must have had questions for me, but I didn't care. I didn't have too I am not the one who neglected them. I didn't have to feel guilty that I didn't want to have a reunion.

"How-How about some ramen Sakura?" Naruto asked, jogging to catch up with my quickened pace.

"No." I answered. I didn't want anything to do with them, why couldn't they just get the message and fuck off? I walked all the way to an apartment building; it was one of the nicer buildings in the leaf village. At least it was when I lived here. I opened the door ignoring the fact team seven was still following me. I really wanted to whip around and blast them into last week where they believe I was still dead and I didn't have three new shadows following me around like lost puppies!

"S-So, are you staying with one of us while your..." Naruto trailed off. From the corner of my eye I saw Naruto looking towards Kakashi asking for silent help.

"No." I answered again. I stepped off the elevator and moved down a well-lit hallway. I came up to a door and pulled out the key from my pocket Tsunade gave me. I unlocked it but looked back at the three men behind me. I was not inviting them in. "Can I help you?" I snapped.

"U-Um!" Naruto became alarmed jumping at the sound of my voice. He quickly pointed to a door which was only one apartment away from me. "Th-That is where I live!" Naruto sounded nervous like he was on trial, I liked it. 

Kakashi walked past me, I heard keys in his hand. I watched him locked the door beside me and Sasuke was at the door next to me. You have got to be fucking kidding me. Tsunade placed me right in the middle of fucking team seven. 

I really hated that woman. 

A piece of me wanted to say fuck it, let's walk away and go sleep in the forest around the leaf village. That would be a breeze compared to having to deal with these three, but then I remembered doors have locks so with that thought I walked into the apartment without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to the joyful sound of panicked screaming, I snapped up and instantly matched the voices to Naruto and Sasuke. I looked around the bedroom ready to kill and hide two bodies if those two broke into this apartment but instead I saw it was a little foggy. There was fucking smoke in the apartment!

I ran outside to see the wall on my left was on fire. I let out an annoyed breath, it was never a dull moment around those two. I waved my hand taking control of the flames with an invisible grasp. I watched as the fire spat cursing at me and vanished but as it did it left a nice parting gift for me, one gaping hole in my wall breaking the barrier I had between Sasuke's apartment and this one. 

Fanfuckingtasic.

"Oh, the fire is out." Naruto said dropping the fire extinguisher. "Sakura!?" Naruto yelled seeing me. "I-I-" Was all that would sputter out of Naruto's wide mouth. Sasuke and Kakashi came into view shortly after. I sighed, really wishing I had opted to sleeping in the forest.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Kakashi asked walking through the hole, he generally sounded concerned.

"Yes." I sighed. "Why was my wall on fire?" Everyone looked at Naruto.

"What?! I didn't--well no I did but, you see-" I ignored him as he tried to explain he bet that he could light a candle only using his new fire jutsu, he was dramatically incorrect.

"Sakura?" I snap out of my thought and looked at the voice who was speaking.

"What?" I half groaned, not wanting to deal with the needy crying blond in front of me who seemed overall scared of my presence, which was just excellent.

"I am so sorry Sakura!" Naruto said dropping to the ground, for a moment I was confused by his actions until I remembered my temper from back in the day. My name on Naruto's tongue annoyed me. The only person who called me by my name was Kaguya, everyone else always called me by my earned title. These little men around me did not deserve my name in their mouth. "You can stay with me!" Naruto's bloated words caught my attention. Even if hell froze over twice I would not stay with anyone from team seven or anyone from this village for that matter.

"We are leaving in one day." Kakashi's collected voice reminded, "Sakura if you are uncomfortable with the hole in your wall you are more than welcome to stay with one of us. But I am sure it will be fixed by the time we get back from our mission." Kakashi's calm, reasoning voice smiled but I knew better. If you didn't live up to his expectations, you were nothing but a thorn on Kakashi's side. I knew better than to fall into his words. I glanced outside at the mellow rain watering the earth.

"A sheet will be fine." I countered.

"Hey-" Naruto chirped in. I had to brace myself for more stupid, it was too early for this. "-we were going to go train and get ready for the mission. You wanna come Sakura?" Naruto held a bright sunflower grin. Again, he used my name. More importantly why the fuck am I not correcting them?

"I'll pass." I answered. Naruto's smile dropped from sight. I looked over noticing Sasuke had been quiet, that wasn't like him. I spotted his eyes trailing along my legs. I had treated myself last night for not snapping someone's neck and changed out of my uniform which is rare for me. I changed into shorts and a tank top hoping to get a more comfortable sleep. I snapped my fingers in his direction, his eyes snapped to meet mine.

"My eyes are up here." I bit at him. I saw a light blush spread across his cheeks as he quickly averted his gaze. I thought by now Sasuke would be the village whore and a woman's body wouldn't faze him. Naruto noticed my outfit and wouldn't look at me either. 

Where these two still virgins? 

It wasn't like I was standing here in a towel or see-through clothing. I ran a hand through my hair feeling tension in my back and shoulders. Team seven was already stressing me out and half the village wasn't even awake yet. I turned my head, seeing even Kakashi was bending over backwards to keep his eyes off me.

Kakashi was a closet pervert, I knew he didn't get flustered from getting a snapshot of my body. Was it because they realized I was no longer that little girl I use to be? Did they see me yesterday and automatically assume I was the same shapeless person I was before vanishing? Morons, I let out a huff of air getting annoyed they were still here.

"Well I have things to do." I broke the silence, hinting for them to get out before I threw them out.

"Yeah..." Naruto pulled his right arm behind his neck and rubbed it; he was nervous. "...I am hungry so I am going to eat but Sakura, you should come today if you are free. It will be like old times!" He then ran out of the room through the hole in the wall. Yeah, he believed I was still the person from five years ago. How arrogant could he be?

"Well then." Kakashi said breaking the silence. "Sakura, do you have any extra sheets laying around for the wall?"

"No." I replied in a dull tone. Why the fuck would I have extra shit laying around here? This wasn't my apartment; I was only here a few days max.

"I have a few extra." Sasuke butted in, as if he was being a hero of some sort coming to my rescue. "After I take a shower, I will hang some up." He then turned and walked away. Soon it was just Kakashi and me.

"So." He said looking around. "How have you been?"

"Fine." This felt weird.

"Good...Good." We looked around for another moment. "Your hair is long now."

"Yeah." This is weird.

"You always had it short. Long hair it looks nice on you." Kakashi complimented.

"Thanks...?" I drew out.

"I better be getting ready for the day."

"Yep."

"I will see you later?" Kakashi asked, a little out of character. I almost slid out a 'nope' as a response.

"We'll see." I lied. I was going to bend over backward and break my damn neck to avoid these fuckers, so I didn't have to do whatever this was again. Kakashi left and I was finally alone. I let out an annoyed breath I didn't realize I was holding until they left. At least I didn't hit anyone today then again, the day is still early... After team seven left I took a shower and ate the last meal bar I had in my bag. I got dressed and grabbed my phone.

"Hello?" Kaguya answered on the other line.

"I hate you." I growled through the line.

"Hello Sakura! How is it going?"

"How's it going?" I raised my voice. "I am in the fucking Leaf Village, Tsunade won't tell me who the fuck is threatening this village. Because that is the smartest thing to do, and now I find out I had to go on a fucking mission for them. You didn't tell me there was a fucking mission!"

"If I had then you wouldn't have gone."

"Your damn right I wouldn't have come!"

"As much as we don't like it, the Leaf Village is becoming a powerhouse. I would like our two village's to be allies and I know your disregard for them so I thought maybe some time with them would do you-"

"I have my reasons for hating this village, I can play nice and act like I don't all fucking day long. Don't sit there in your office and tell me this is for my own good because I will call bullshit so fast you'll get fucking whiplash!"

"You have ran into your old team, haven't you?"

"That doesn't have to do with anything!" I snapped.

"You are a little more hostile than usual." Kaguya commented.

"You haven't seen hostile yet Kaguya." I threatened. "Just wait until I get back-"

"Yes-Yes." Kaguya brushed off, "The point is if you do not assist Tsunade with whatever mission she wants then we have to refund the Leaf Village money and I do not wish to do that-" I ignored Kaguya, the money loving asshole should be the one here dealing with this bullshit, not me. "So how is it?" Kaguya's voice dragged me out of my trace.

"The same shit on a different day." I half assed answered.

"Sakura." Kaguya sighed, making me feel a little bad for my attitude.

"It's the same as when I left." I rewrote my comment, Kaguya laughed loving my misery. In a lot of ways, she was psychotic.

"Oh, I have to go!" Kaguya sang.

"What?" I asked. "Go where?"

"I have things to do."

"What things? I did everything before I left, all you need to do is make sure the damn place doesn't burn down!" I yelled through the phone call.

"Bye Sakura! Don't kill anyone!" Kaguya quickly added the last part.

"I hate you so much right now." I said as the phone call ended. 

I sighed as I leaned back on the small couch. I was bored now; I had an entire day to kill until I got to leave the leaf village but with team seven on a fucking mission! When was the last time I had an entire day to do nothing? I didn't like it. I got up from the couch, phone in hand and walked outside into the afternoon sun. There were more people than the last time I was on the streets, it was gross as I made my way through the village.

"Who is that?" A familiar voice pulled my attention, it belonged to Kiba as he stood beside Shikamaru watched me walk by. I didn't slow my pace or pay another moment of attention to them. I continued my way to the training grounds, what else was there to do? I stayed out of sight, settling in a tree I leaned against the trunk and watched team seven train. 

If I had to go out on a mission with them, I might as well know what they were capable of. As I watched team seven in silence, I wondered how long it would take them to notice I was here observing them. Team seven's way of training hasn't changed, Naruto and Sasuke fight as they try to one up each other and Kakashi reads his 'special books' out in the open.

"Why can't I figure this out?!" Naruto yelled to himself looking extremely annoyed. Sasuke got the jutsu they were practicing down with no issues while Naruto was having more than one problem with it.

"The temple of nirvana technique is a very handy technique to use. But it isn't very helpful if you are using it only on one person. And if the person you are using it on dispels it then it doesn't work, and you won't really know if it worked or not." Kakashi instructed useless information never looking up from his book. 

Was this how our training was with these people while I was still here? If it was than I could see how I failed so easily, this is a terrible system. After some time has passed, I watched a group of people walk into the training area, they weren't so much paying their attention to team seven who seemed confused on the crashers. The group of people were looking around the area.

"What are you guys doing?" Sasuke called, his eye twitching in annoyance.

"I could have sworn I saw..." Kiba trailed off.

"No." Shikamaru interrupted, "I know that was her."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, walking to the group of his peers.

"It seems-" Shino stepped up, "-that Kiba and Shikamaru think they saw a woman that looked a lot like..." He trailed sounding unsure of himself.

"Ugh!" A voice cried out, Ino pushed herself past a few people. "They think they saw Sakura!" Ino announced, "It isn't just them, a lot of people believe they saw her or something that looked like her and we have looked all over the village for this woman with pink hair and we can't find anyone! Have you guys seen her?" Ino had her hands on her hips.

"Yeah." Naruto said so casually.

"WHAT!?" The group broke into madness, each person was screaming different questions trying to be the first to get answered.

"Sakura is alive." Naruto laughed, "I forgot you guys didn't know."

"H-How would we know!?" Ino yelled.

"When did you find out she was alive?" Kiba pushed Ino out of the way.

"Yesterday." Naruto said, "She should be somewhere around the village, she said she had something to do." I watched as Kakashi glanced behind his shoulder looking in my direction. So, he did notice I was here, guess he wasn't washed up just yet.

"She is staying in the apartment next to mine." Sasuke added.

"I-I can't believe this!" Kiba laughed, wrapping an arm around around Shikamaru who didn't seem so pleased.

"Where has she been all this time?" Neji wondered out loud.

"Hm?" Naruto looked up, they never found out. "I don't know."

"You mean to tell me you find out Sakura has been alive all this time and you didn't think to ask her where she has been!?" Kiba yelled, lecturing Naruto for his careless behavior.

"It was a shock!" Naruto pushed back. "I didn't think...I mean, we didn't really get a chance to even talk to her!"

"Why?!" Kiba yelled.

"Because she was..." Naruto scratched his chin,

"She was tired." Sasuke finished. "She traveled a long way to get here." Wrong Sasuke, I was not tired I just don't want anything to do with you.

"She isn't here-" TenTen made herself known, "-come on, I want to try and find her."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Why?" TenTen turned. "Because I just found out my friend is alive after years of being declared dead! I want to see her!" I tilted my head, friend? 

I didn't really recall even having a conversation with TenTen. I laughed, giving away my position but I couldn't help it. These people, the leaf shinobi were placing themselves in a spotlight they didn't belong in. I moved, vanishing from the tree branch I had been hanging on and reappearing in the middle of the field. 

Everyone stared at me, eyes wide and mouths open. These people had balls, I will give them that. No one wanted to hang out with me, no one wanted to train by my side. They made up excuses to get away before I vanished. They didn't care about me before why do they act like they care now? Because they want the attention or did they expect this grand emotional reunion?

"S-Sakura..." Lee breathed, he looked like he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen to his brain.

"So, it's true then." Might Guy came into view, standing beside Kakashi. "Your student is back, Kakashi." Kakashi's peers began to appear. I am not Kakashi's student, he did not care that night I needed help, the one time I needed him to put me before Naruto.

"Sakura!" Guy held is arms out, "Welcome back!" He laughed taking steps towards me. I shot him an icy glare, making him stop in his tracks. As a light breeze blew through my hair, I saw Guy was a smart man after all, he stopped coming near me and dropped the humor on his face. I did not want to be touched, not by him.

"Sakura-" Iruka pulled my attention onto him, he flashed the warm-hearted smile I knew to always be on his face. He moved past Guy and hugged me which I found myself strangely allowing.

"What!?" Guy jumped up and down.

"I am so glad you're alright." He whispered and then he pulled away, Iruka had always been kind to me. I remember days he would listen to me just cry because of petty things that use to shake me to my core.

"Sa-Sakura!" Hinata's voice reached my ears, she was still so timid and shy. How was she even a shinobi with her submissive demeanor?

"How about we end training for today?" Kakashi stepped in.

"Wait, really!?" Naruto bounced. What exactly did they even do today?

"Yes!" TenTen smiled, "Let's all get something to eat and catch up!" Everyone loved that idea, as they turned and began moving to exit the training grounds. I turned on my heel, spinning in the direction opposite from them.

"Sakura?" Naruto called my name out, pulling everyone's attention back onto me. I sighed hearing him asking if I was coming. Clearly, I was not.

"No." I called, turning to walk away from them.

"Huh?" TenTen furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding why I didn't melt into their little group like I use to do just happy to be included and go along with whatever they did. "Why not?" TenTen asked.

"I don't want too?" I sounded as if it was obvious.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled as I moved farther away, "Wait! Come with us-"

"No Naruto." I said, tired of this repetitive bullshit. "I am not here to hang out with you, I am here to do a job and then I am leaving."

"Leaving?" Naruto looked a little hurt.

"A job?" Neji wondered.

"A job for who?"

"Your village." I answered.

"Our village?" Sasuke read through the spaces between my words.

"This is your village too-" Naruto tried to say,

"No, it's not. I represent the Waterfall Village."

"Waterfall Village?" Guy muttered to himself, looking towards the ground.

"So that's where you have been." Neji crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I am their Commander."

"Commander?" Ino scuffed. I watched them all look towards each other; I swear if they start laughing as if this was all a really long joke, I will kill them and call it a good day.

"Sakura-" Naruto started looking like he was gearing up.

"No." I ended his emotional rant, "I will be at the front gate in the morning for the mission." I turned, about to vanish.

"You said you were the Commander, right-?" Naruto blurted. "-of the Waterfall Village?" He sounded so unsure of himself.

"Yes."

"So... if...ok, if I fight you and I win you have to come with us to dinner."

"What?" I shook my head at his stupidity.

"If you win then we will leave you alone until the mission tomorrow, promise!" Naruto explained. Was this the easiest way to be left alone, should I just vanish? No, if I knew Naruto and the others they will search for and bug the hell outta me. It was kind of funny, if they had done this five years ago maybe I would still care about the leaf village.

"Deal." I agreed, Naruto looked a little shocked I jumped on board with his little plan so quickly.

"O-Oh. Well alright!" Naruto said, shifting foot to foot getting pumped up. "While you ran off and had a nice vacation, I have been here training!" Naruto was cockier than I remembered, and his tone and that one word kind of pissed me off. 

Vacation. 

Oh, I felt my lips tilt upward; I was going to make this hurt. Kakashi and the others backed up giving Naruto and I space. The people I grew up with were cheering and clapping, I didn't like being entertainment. For a moment I waited to see what Naruto would do to see how he has improved over the years. I should have put money down on what his first move would have been, Naruto summoned three extra clones of himself.

"Now that's too many." I muttered to myself. I put my hands together and borrowed gravity's control. I slammed it down onto Naruto and his little clones. Did they truly believe I had been vacationing all these years? 

How fucking insulting for him to assume.

"Ow..." Naruto groaned; it would really surprise me if he got up right now. I didn't hurt him bad enough he couldn't go out tomorrow on the mission, maybe I should have...

"Naruto!" People gasped, running to his side. I felt the group of sensei's eyes on me, a mixture of shock and the little disgust sprinkled in their eyes caused me to smirk.

"See you in the morning." I gave a sarcastic wave as I was about to turn, TenTen looked back as she was kneeling.

"You're just going to leave after what you did to your teammate!?" She accused me.

"He picked the fight, and he is not my teammate." I glanced over at Kakashi, who remained in his spot watching me with a look in his eye I didn't care even to densifier. I turned on my heel and walked away, allowing myself to vanish along with the wind.

Morning was sweet to me as I stood by the gates of the leaf village, waiting for team seven. I leaned against the gate with my arms crossed over my chest enjoying the peace. I heard Naruto and Sasuke already bickering, I groaned to myself. We haven't even left the freaking village and they were already fighting.

"Sa-Sakura!?" I opened my eyes and uncrossed my arms. I looked over and saw Naruto and Sasuke turning a shade pinker than my hair.

"Your late." I said picking up my bag which rested by my feet.

"You're going to wear that?" Sasuke asked as his eyes traveled up and down my body.

"Hey." I snapped my fingers in front of his face. I was not going to just stand by and get eye fucked by one of the biggest whores of the leaf village. Sasuke quickly looked up to meet my glare. "We had this conversation."

"You just look..." Sasuke trailed off his sentence as he looked away. I tilted my head, not understanding their shyness. I know for a fact during my time on team seven we saw a lot of women wearing barely nothing while in combat, so my uniform shouldn't faze them. 

I simply wore black pants that had leather strips wrapping around them and they were tucked into black boots. I wore a thick black long sleeve t-shirt that I pulled the sleeves up to my elbows because it was so freaking hot. A black vest to protect my vital organs and gloves. I pulled my long hair into a hair tie so it was out of my way in case I needed to fight. With an annoyed eye roll I turned on my heel and walked out of the village with team seven behind me. 

It was time to get this mission over with.

\----

"My feet hurt!" Naruto cried for the tenth time. I sighed, looking up at the sky questioning all my life choices, I noticed it was going to rain.

"It has only been six hours." Kakashi muttered with his nose in his book.

"Six hours!" Naruto cried again. "We have been walking forever!" I noticed Naruto didn't say anything about yesterday. I knew him to always be so open about everything and he could never let anything the fuck go so I expected a long drawn out speech about friendship, hearts and rainbows. 

But, aside from his constant whining he has left me completely alone. One thing was annoying me though, Sasuke was up my ass. He was a foot away from me, I could reach out and punch him and by my standards that was too fucking close. I tried to push distance between myself and team seven but they do not know what personal boundaries were.

"Tell me again why we didn't take a train or a taxi?" Naruto asked from in front of me. Naruto and Kakashi walked side by side, Sasuke and I were behind them.

"Because I don't like them." I answered for the fourth time. Naruto was gearing up to argue with me, he turned his head and I shot him a 'shut the fuck up' look. Naruto whipped forward looking ahead. Hopefully that will make him drop the subject for an hour or so. 

Taking a train or taxi would have been nice and surely would make this mission go by a lot faster, but I had a shiny price tag on my head that many, many people would like to claim. Getting in a giant target sign with four doors is not the way I want to go out.

We walked...and walked...and walked a little more, but little time and distance had passed us. Between Naruto whining every five minutes and Sasuke picking fights with Naruto because he was whining was making this an extremely painful experience, how could I have ever missed this?

To my excitement, we had wandered into bandit country, a place full of rogue shinobi. They over ran this town and claimed it as theirs, but for me I like to call this place target practice. I glanced at team seven, they were acting a little off. The members of team seven were always a little off to start but this time they were acting out of place. 

I believe maybe because I was back it was throwing them off. A team is like a puzzle, to function all the pieces needed to fit together and I no longer fit in their puzzle. I think they were beginning to figure this fact out. How they would react I knew was going to be interesting, nothing is ever dull with this team.

I felt the muggy air being sliced by a jagged blade. Kakashi and I reacted together as he pulled Naruto behind him, blocking a masked figure from stealing Naruto's life. I spun around, pulling my sword from its sheath and blocked an attack from behind us. A group of seven had surrounded us, I felt my lips curl upward. 

It would be too easy to simply travel to the land of whirlpools and collect the debt they owed. A little entertainment along the way is the perfect way to liven up this trip and get a little target practice in was a win-win for me.

"Reaper." The masked man in front of me growled out my earned nickname. Warm tingles began to run along inside my right arm, my muscles were ready I was itching to slice this man's throat out so I could move onto the next target. I felt the twisted smile on my lips as I used my enhanced strength to push him away from me. He annoyingly recovered from the force and landed on his feet a few yards away, two more men collected around me.

"You're going to die Reaper!" A weak threat was called out making me want to chuckle.

"True." I said pulling my blade closer to gaze at the clear steel this sword was forged with, it took me hours to make this thing. "But not today." I smiled, leaping forward and with a swift slice through the air one man fell to the ground lifeless. The remaining two men glanced at each other, as if they were asking each other if they really wanted to do this. "I wouldn't try it-" I turned to them, flicking off their friends' blood from my blade into the grass. "-I won't let you get far."

"We-We're not scared of you!" The two braced themselves for their last fight.

"Oh..." I shook my head, "...that's where you fucked up." I tightened my grip on my sword as I pushed off with my right leg flying through the air like a summer's night storm. I sliced through the two men like butter, I turned watching them fall to the ground. This wasn't as much fun as I had hoped it would be.

"Ah-" I looked away from the bodies and behind me, I had forgotten team seven was here. 

Naruto had been the one to catch my attention, he was fighting one of the men who had tried to ambush us, Sasuke had one and Kakashi had the last two. I shook my head seeing, Kakashi was the only one holding his own against this band of little merry men. What have these guys been doing these past five years? 

I sighed, seeing I was going to have to step in...they were such a chore. I swiftly interrupted Naruto's fight, I got in the way of Naruto pushing him to the side quickly. The masked shinobi had already swung his blade aiming for Naruto, now he was fucked.

I pulled a kunai out and slammed it into the side of his neck, I quickly let go of the handle and allowed the man to fall to the forest floor. I didn't feel like getting blood on me today. I ignored Naruto, pulling out a second kunai I locked onto Sasuke's target. 

For a moment I thought maybe Sasuke was playing with his prey but the punch the shinobi gave Sasuke which sent him flying backwards told me I had thought wrong. I whipped the kunai through the air, it caught the sun light' rays as it flew into the masked ninja's chest. He stood there for a moment, looking down at the object sticking out of his body. Finally, he fell to the ground, took him forever to die.

"Sakura?" Naruto breathed. Kakashi killed the two men who attacked him, he was the only pulling his weight around here.

"Yes?" I asked, spinning around finally giving the needy blond my attention.

"You-You just..." Naruto looked at the five bodies as I retrieved my kunais, using the dead man's shirt to wipe off the unwanted blood. Sasuke rose from his failure and made his way towards where Naruto and I stood. "Sakura that was awesome!" Naruto gushed out; his eyes sparkled with amazement as his mouth hung open with a smile. 

This was a reaction I was not expecting.

"Naruto is right." Kakashi's voice came from behind me, I turned my head to see he was standing with his hands casually in his pockets. "That was very impressive."

"Eh?" I turned to fully face Kakashi. "I didn't do anything-"

"We better get moving." Kakashi smiled with his eye. "We don't know if those men had friends." Naruto agreed and Sasuke nodded. I simply followed them as we left the area and the dead bodies for someone else to stumble upon.

"Are we really just going to leave them there?" Naruto muttered after a while of silent walking. I rolled my eyes, those men tried to kill us and Naruto would want to give them a proper burial. If I stayed and buried every person I killed, I would get nothing done.

"We are going to have to set up for camp soon." Kakashi pulled my attention from my swirling thoughts, he was gazing up at the sky. He was right, it would be dark soon. I didn't mind traveling in the dark but I assumed team seven did not.

"There is a town not too far from here." I commented, knowing where we were.

"Really!?" Naruto jumped to my side with a huge grin on his face. "Sasuke do you have the map?"

"You don't need a map." I said, pointing north. "There is a small town about ten miles that way."

"How do you know?" Sasuke asked.

"I know where we are." I answered.

"How?" Sasuke wouldn't shut up. I sighed, not caring enough to look at him, I didn't even want to waste my breath on him.

"Te-Ten miles?" Naruto fell to the ground being dramatic like always. "Sakura! How can you walk ten more miles?!"

"Because it's easy." I shrugged. "We should get there before nightfall if we move quickly." I said looking back down at Naruto who lit up, I could almost see the thought of food running across his mind.

"Ok!" He said getting pumped up, leaping to his feet. "Let's go!" He said breaking off into a motivated run, why can't he always move with that much purpose? "I bet I can beat you Sasuke!" Naruto challenged. Sasuke rolled his eyes but still, he broke out in a run to catch up. Kakashi chuckled watching the two race each other.

"I don't know where he gets the energy." Kakashi broke the silence as we walked following the two racers.

"I don't know." I muttered; he was like the freaking energizer bunny. Kakashi and I didn't share anymore words as we walked at our own pace. It was honestly not bad, if the whole trip was like this maybe I wouldn't want to pull all my hair out. The grass thinned and soon we stepped onto road. I saw the entry to town and Naruto and Sasuke who were stopped at the gates by two men, one bald and one not so bald. Kakashi picked up his pace, but not to reach Naruto and Sasuke quicker, but to put himself in front of me.

Naruto was yelling at two large men who were blocking us from entering town. I had a feeling this could happen; we were not completely out of bandit territory just yet. The shinobi who were a part of this oh so lovely organization believed they were all powerful and could take what they wished with no regard for the rules. As long as they stayed within their territory and don't wonder too close to a large village, it was a free for all for these annoying creatures. They had a fun habit of popping up unwelcomed at the most annoying times, they were like menstrual cramps.

"Get out of my way!" Naruto yelled; his voice was still so high even after puberty.

"Well hello there-" One of the menstrual cramps said, looking past Naruto and looked straight at me. 

Fanfuckingtastic.

"Hey!" Naruto didn't like being ignored as the two-oversize men pushed passed Sasuke and Naruto and started their way towards Kakashi and I.

"A beautiful woman such as yourself should not be in a place like this." The bald one smiled, and I cringed a little at the sight of his yellow teeth. 

Damn, I could respect not giving a damn about appearances but at least have a few fucks about your hygiene, teeth were stupidly important. This was a lesson I did not realized inside my sheltered life inside the leaf village but I learned very quickly while on my own; you need healthy teeth! The men were still many feet away but I could smell them from where I stood. I slightly cursed Kakashi for his damn mask, I was the only one who had to suffer by smelling these two's putrid body order.

"You shouldn't be here alone-" I looked up at the other shinobi who had zero chance of getting any closer to me. I couldn't help but wonder how stupid these two men really were. I was clearly standing beside Kakashi, so I was not alone. But hey, I liked target practice so if they wanted to die tonight, I would be happy to oblige. I was just about to lift my arm to reach for my sword when I felt an arm wrap around me and pull me into something that felt very solid.

"She isn't alone." Kakashi calmly said. I looked up at his mask face, wondering what the fuck? I felt Kakashi's body, his arm was wrapped around my shoulder, going over my chest like a seat belt, Kakashi was tense expecting them to attack. 

I couldn't see Kakashi's face but by the death glare that was seeping from his one exposed eye, I could guess his mood. The two rogue men took Kakashi's hint and backed away looking very unhappy. Damn, I was kind of hoping they weren't as dumb as they looked and attacked. Kakashi took a step forward, his arm still around me as we moved.

"What should we do first?" Kakashi called out waiting for suggestions. "Get a hotel room or eat?" Naruto and Sasuke were too busy watching Kakashi with a mixture of emotions on their faces. If I wasn't busy doing the same thing, I probably would have laughed at them.

"We should grab takeout and get a room." I answered for everyone.

"Good idea Sakura." Kakashi smiled under his mask. I didn't respond, I was busy questioning if I should bring up the fact Kakashi still had an arm around me and then I was also trying to debate why I allowed his arm around me, and why wasn't I ripping his arm out of its socket? 

While I spent time with my lovely thoughts Naruto decided on a burger joint for dinner. When we got in line to order was when Kakashi removed his arm from around me. I felt the weight leave my body, I turned to make sure Kakashi was still there. He was looking at the menu, I bit my lip and wondered why I felt a little cold now? 

We grabbed our take out bags and found a nearby hotel, after Naruto went through every item to make sure it was all right. The entire time he went through the bags he kept saying 'you always get screwed through drive thru'.

"What!?" Naruto yelled once the hotel door was closed and locked. It was an ok hotel room. Two large beds, a bathroom and a small TV. "How is this the best in town!?" Naruto bounced looking around the room. I felt a smirk on my lips and I shook my head.

"Eat before the food gets cold." Sasuke called out to Naruto who was in the bathroom, I didn't think Naruto needed to be told to eat. Kakashi and Naruto sat on the bed closest to the door, Sasuke and I were on the other one. We ate in silence with the only sound coming from the TV which was staticky and hard to make out the picture on the screen.

"So..." Naruto said after twenty minutes. Damn, he was done eating so now he was going to talk. "You said you have been here before Sakura?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" Sasuke asked. Does it really matter?

"I have passed by here once or twice." I willingly answered, taking the last bite of my burger and balling up the trash.

"When did you come here?!" Naruto yelled filling the small room with his voice. Why did it matter?

"Maybe two years ago." I said after thinking for a moment, I travel so much it so hard to pinpoint when I was where.

"Oh." Naruto looked away from me and towards the brown carpet. It fell silent after the small conversation, I learned Naruto was like a child. He will cry when you don't give him what he wants so to shut him up, give him little pieces and it will please him. Sasuke went to take a shower and I climbed into the bed I was eating on. I laid my head on the pillow taking full advantage of the quiet and it wasn't long before I fell asleep.

Naruto snoring woke me up. I blinked a few times, a yawn on my lips as I sat up looking around the dark room. Naruto and Sasuke were in the bed next to me. Son of a bitch Naruto was loud even when he slept, he was his own fucking alarm clock!

I looked to my side; I was alone in this bed. The low sound of the TV filled the room and I plopped down back on the bed, I stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Damnit. I sat up; this was bullshit. Kakashi was in the small chair against the wall. His one exposed eye was closed, his head tilted down and his beloved book resting in his lap. That could not be comfortable. Why the fuck did I feel bad? Fuck my life.

"Kakashi." His name was light on my tongue as I reached where he slept, I placed my hand on his shoulder. He flung forward grabbing my neck, I reacted by slamming my knee into his stomach.

"S-Sakura?" Kakashi asked fully awake now. "I am so sorry I-"

"I know." I really don't care. "You can sleep in the bed." I said motioning over to it.

"You need to rest."

"Yeah, I know. I will once I get back to sleep if that is even possible." I muttered the last part, glaring at Naruto. Could I shove a sock in his mouth?

"I assumed you wouldn't want to..." Kakashi chuckled to himself, I watched his body language. He seemed nervous.

"What?" I shook my head, I wanted to get a few more hours of sleep. Since I had to deal with Naruto and Sasuke's bullshit I needed sleep because I knew if get sleep deprived, I will end up murdering those two. "Don't tell me your scared to share a bed with a female?" I teased. Kakashi chuckled at me, making me feel the desire to smile.

"You were asleep, I was being respectful-"

"Aw." I mocked moving back to the bed. "Aren't you just a gentleman, last of a dying breed." I crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up. Kakashi walked into the bathroom as I closed my eyes, tuned Naruto out and began to drift.

\----

"What!?" Naruto's screamed, I snapped up. Naruto was standing in a black shirt and orange boxers pointing at me. Kakashi was sitting up as well looking around for danger. After he saw it was just Naruto he sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Naruto?" I asked half asleep, he better pray this was a dream.

"Why are you and Kakashi in the same bed!? Huh!?" Naruto ignored me. I blinked a few times, my eyes burned.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" I yelled, taking the pillow from behind me and flinging it in his face. He fell backwards onto his ass from the unsuspecting force from the pillow.

"You and Kakashi are-" Naruto sat up.

"So, fucking what!?" I snapped. "You don't fucking wake me up screaming your head off like your being murdered!"

"But-But you two are-"

"Grow up!" I pushed the blankets off my legs and stood. The clock on the nightstand read 5:47am.

"Sakura? What are you-"

"I might as well take a shower since I'm up now!" I bit, feeling annoyed as hell. My shower was brisk and unsatisfying. The water never steamed up; I didn't get the relaxing feeling of hot water loosening my muscles as it ran down my tired body. I sighed; this was a terrible start to my day.

"Sakura?" I looked over to see Sasuke and Kakashi looking at me as I walked out of the bathroom and placed my bag on the closest bed. Naruto dashed into the bathroom, I glanced back in time to see the door slam shut.

"Yeah?" I looked over to them.

"You...You look nice." Kakashi smiled through his mask.

"Eh?" I didn't understand, I wore the same thing as yesterday.

"Ugh! I feel so much better!" Naruto came out laughing.

"Are you ready?" Kakashi questioned Naruto, who nodded yes.

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto was oddly chipper; I remember him hating mornings more than I did and I fucking hated mornings. We grabbed breakfast that was easy to eat on the go. I had a sandwich and a small iced coffee, I looked around the town as we quickly scarfed the food down. 

We had a lot of ground to cover today so we couldn't waste time. I eyeballed Naruto yeah, I had no hope of making this mission within our deadline. We walked for a few hours. Naruto was filling me, who was unwilling I might add on what has been going on in the village for the past five years. 

He said those words again...I left the village. I didn't leave I was banished, clearly there was a difference. Under Naruto's words I almost didn't hear the two men who stepped out into the opening from behind us.

"Can we help you?" Kakashi asked, his hands casually in his pockets. The two men were masked wearing the same outfit as the last group who tried to jump us. I pull in a deep breath of cool air into my lungs. 

This was gonna be fun. 

The two men who stood behind us, acting as if the world owed them were friends of the last group we left behind to be discovered. They all bore the same symbol somewhere on their person. They were the most annoying little fuckers I have ever had the displeasure of stumbling across. They were the Reapers, the group I went undercover in. All the Reapers were was a group of assassins.

However, they are the same group who attacked the grass village where my parents were staying and the same fuckers who stabbed a sword through my best friends' chest. I might have a tiny grudge against them. Here I was thinking this morning was going to be boring! I reached behind me and pulled my sword out of its slumber. I was pretty high up on the Reapers shit list.

I saw a thin thread of light flying towards Naruto's head. It was quiet and almost unnoticeable, unlike the first group attacked these guys seemed to have skill. I may just get a work out in after all. I whipped forward, the clashing between metal blade filled the frosty morning air. Now this, this was a nice way to wake up. I kicked the man away from getting closer to team seven, twisting aiming to slash open his stomach but he fucking moved. I landed in front of team seven.

"Well, well, well..." The one man in the front laughed. I couldn't tell the Reapers apart; they all wore matching hoods and masks; it was a real inconvenience. They also enjoyed collecting different patches, I knew what most of them meant. "...the Reaper of Reapers..." I could see him smiling under his mask. Most of the Reapers patches were a number of people the person has killed, how many villages did they destroy, different ranks among themselves so on and so on. They were a fucked up little band of boy scouts. "...it is a real pleasure finally getting to meet you, I have heard so many rumors about you."

"And yet I have heard nothing about you." The man smirked at my comment. I dropped my bag on the ground. I noticed the lack of patches on his outfit, he was new to the group and I knew ranks only hung out with the same ranking people. So, this group was newer to the Reapers.

"Oh boy! If we kill the Reaper and bring her back, we will so be in!" One laughed, as if killing me would be a cake walk.

"You are right. Our training would be over." One Reaper agreed nodding.

"Training?" I scoffed. "You three are practicing how to kill people by robbing them. How do you call that training?"

"Oh, you will learn soon enough. You just won't live to tell the story." They were cocky little things.

"Do you really think you three are going to be able to touch me?" I felt Naruto move forward, but before Naruto could spout off some ridiculous speech about love, hope and pixie dust, they vanished.

"Separate!" I yelled towards team seven as I turned clashing swords with the Reaper who was spouting off. Naruto and Sasuke ignored my command, they held each other's backs. Kakashi was busy fighting with the one Reaper who tried to attack from the air. I didn't have time to babysit team seven. I was right, this group was more skilled than the last one. The Reapers were a strong group, their members were all well trained. I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about team seven getting their asses handed to them.

"I see the rumors are true, your good." The Reaper in front of me laughed. A grunt from Naruto getting punched turned my attention onto him and not the man in front of me trying to claim that shiny prize that was on my head. Due to this, that bastard was able to land a hit on me. He kicked me in my abdomen sending me flying backwards. I recovered quickly, able to block his sword stroke with my own.

I dropped to the floor, extending my right leg and kicking his feet from out under him. He fell backwards but rolled out of the way of my sword which was aimed for his heart. From the corner of my eye I could see Sasuke, he was struggling with his opponent, I knew team seven would not be able to stand against the Reapers. I raised my sword, ignoring my little friend for a moment I threw my sword like a dart. It impaled Sasuke's opponent from behind.

"How foolish!" The Reaper who I assumed was the ringleader of this little group laughed.

"Mhm." I muttered; I may not have my sword but I still dodged the strokes of his sword. I pulled a kunai from my leg, I stood directly in front of him and waited for him to strike. He fell into my trap, as he thrusted his sword forward, I stepped aside, pushing the side of the blade away from me. I took the moment of his confusion to use my kunai and plunge it into his neck. It was the easiest and fastest way to kill a person.

"Sa-Sasuke-" Naruto sounded like he was struggling. I flipped around, I watched Naruto try to move, but Sasuke's arm did instead of Naruto's. It was the Reapers signature move. A jutsu that switches the opponent's movements, that's why I told them to scatter. Fucking morons never listen! I scanned the area quickly, Kakashi was doing fine on his own. Naruto pull out a kunai and was being forced to walk towards Sasuke. "S-Sasuke. I-I c-can't-"

"Its-Its ok Naruto." Sasuke stuttered. Before the two could literally kill each other, I picked up my sword and killed the Reaper, he gasped out and fell to the ground with an empty thud. I looked over, Naruto and Sasuke fell as the control over them broke. Kakashi finished off opponent without needing my help.

"Sakura!" Naruto gasped as he jumped up, sweat coated his face. "What-" Naruto shook his head. "What just happened."

"Do you...do you really need me to spell it out for you?" I wondered.

"What the hell did that guy do us?" Sasuke asked me as I used one of the dead Reapers cloak to clean my sword.

"It was a jutsu." I was highly annoyed they didn't listen to me in the first fucking place. "They switch their opponents' movements, it's why I told you all to scatter."

"Sakura, this is the second time you saved our butts!" Naruto laughed rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you alright Sakura?" I looked over at Kakashi.

"Yeah? You?" Since he was the only one who can pull his own weight.

"Yes." Kakashi smiled with his exposed eye. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Well this put us behind even more." Sasuke looked around the area.

"We better get going then!" Naruto jogged over to get his bag. I rolled my eyes, oh now they wanted to work. 

Assholes. 

\----

"Say Sakura..." Naruto said after a while.

"Yes?"

"Those guys back there...how did they know you?"

"They were a part of a group; they call themselves Reapers."

"Reapers?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "They don't like me very much."

"Yeah, we kinda saw that, but how did they know you?" Naruto asked again.

"I have been dealing with them for a few years now." I answered.

"Sakura." Sasuke spoke up.

"Huh?" I sighed, was it fifty question me time? What the fuck?

"They called you...Reaper of Reapers?"

"Yeah." I pulled my water bottle to my lips. I turned only to groan, seeing the three team members of team seven staring at me. They couldn't fill in the gaps themselves? I had to lead them to water, was I going to have to drink it for them too? "It is the nickname I picked up."

"Reaper? But isn't that what they are called?" Kakashi butted in.

"I am not crazy about it but I didn't pick the name." I shook my head. We were finally getting close to the land of whirlpools; this mission was back on track to getting over with already. We needed to get back to the leaf village, figure out who is threatening them so I can take them down and then finally return to the waterfall village. Naruto and Sasuke were having a heated conversation as they walked in front of me, Kakashi was on my right.

"Good afternoon." A voice came from the trees. Son of a bitch, another hiccup.

"Do not tell me these are the people responsible for two of my groups deaths?" A different voice called with a laugh laced through his voice. I watched a tall man come into view, the difference with him is he wasn't wearing his mask. He had long black hair, slicked back as he wore reapers uniform with pride. He looked like he belonged on a murder mystery where the butler did it.

"Yes sir." Someone from behind him sounded like they were about to piss themselves.

"Let's see what we have here." The creepy butler said looking at each of us. "The great copy ninja, an Uchiha, the nine tailed fox and the Reaper." He smirked with his thin lips. "What a fine bounty. Each of them is a rank." He called to the shadows. "Whoever kills one gets promoted." He laughed glaring at me. "Reaper..." He smiled nodding his, "...as beautiful as the rumors suggest."

"Bite me." I glared and he laughed.

"Ugh...I love that fire! Such a shame to see you go." He looked back into the shadows. "Good luck!" He called into the air, vanishing. 

It was a long silent moment before they all jumped. We all had a price tag on our heads now. I looked around and the fifteen-ninja surrounding us. Well shit, team seven was fucked. I killed two Reapers instantly as they ran bluntly at me. Morons...Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi all scattered, taking my advice from early about the reapers favored move. I ended up clashing swords with some random Reaper and jumping fire attacks from another one. I sliced one's throat open and turned to the one throwing kunai at me. I did not want these ones; I wanted the butler.

"I can see you all are new." I mocked, turning three more Reapers moving my way.

"Bitch." One yelled running at me, I broke his nose and then ran my sword into him with a weird satisfaction, then I pulled it out to block another attack. Warm blood spattered on my cheek. On a normal day I would call this a party but I could hear Naruto getting beat up, every time I sliced one Reaper down three more took its place. 

I couldn't get closer to team seven to fucking defend them. I had four ninjas around me, all trying to claim the price tag that was placed on my head for themselves. Each failed horribly, I soon started to see the Reaper's thinning out. I moved to heal a cut that was on my arm annoying me. I looked down; it was not healing. I snapped my eyes up to a Reaper looking at me with a wicked smile hanging over his teeth. 

They are using their fucking venom.

The Reapers have a fun-loving toy that was made just for me, a poison they dip their weapons in. It prevents any wound from healing with chakra, once it is in your system it is a bitch for the body to cycle it out. 

I now really did have to get over to team seven to make sure one doesn't get hurt beyond what I could heal. If I returned to the leaf village without a member from team seven, I just knew I would have an ear full waiting for me. Naruto was panting, just like I thought he was banged up pretty bad. I watched the two ninja he was fighting team up against him. One got all of Naruto's attention, the second one was pulling out his sword from behind him. 

Not watching out for myself, I felt a blade enter my side. I didn't care about the stinging pain in my body. I throw a kunai, striking the ninja who injured me. His goofy smile flashed into my head, his stupid jokes, his loud mouth, his loyalty, my twelve-year-old friend flashed into my eyes smiling at me. Naruto... I ran as fast as I could, Naruto whipped around looking disturbed for a moment only to see me landing behind him.

"Sakura?" He asked confused. I sucked in a deep breath, feeling the blade entering my body. I was pushed up against Naruto. "Sakura!?" I heard Naruto shout. I pulled a kunai out and stabbed the guy in front of me, aiming for-you guessed it, his neck. We glared at each other for a moment, waiting to see whose light leaves their eyes first. I looked down at the sword in my stomach. 

It burns so hot and felt so unnatural. I could feel the colors draining from my sight as white dots begin to appear taking over, I could taste TV static as I felt beads of blood drip down my chin. My legs gave out, I felt Naruto caught me from hitting the ground but he wouldn't stop his screaming. 

He kept asking, over and over again why I saved his life, asking why I jumped in front of him. I looked into his clear, blue crystal eyes. His goofy smile entered my thoughts once more. "SAKURA!" Naruto had large tears forming in his eyes. "Sakura, talk to me please!" Even though I didn't like Naruto, I still didn't want to see him cry. "Sakura...why?" He bawled. "Kakashi." Naruto lifted his head and yelled, "Kakashi!"

"Na-Naruto." I could taste the iron fill my mouth, the static was starting to dull leaving my body feeling drained.

"Sakura!? Why!? Why would you protect me?!"

"How should I know?" I asked him, seeing him search my eyes for answers. "M-My body just moved on its own." I smiled seeing his shocked face, I almost laughed.

"What-What?!" Naruto gasped his eyes were so wide, they looked like they were going to pop out of his big blond head. "Sakura..." I looked up at the clouds slowly floating over my head.

"Warn the Waterfall Village about the Reapers. Tell them I sent you, warn them that the Reapers are migrating-"

"Sakura! What are you talking about!?"

"The leaf village won't stand a chance on its own, trust me" I breathed gasping for oxygen, my lungs were starving for it.

"Sakura! Sakura! Heal yourself!" Naruto demanded.

"I can't."

"WHY!?"

"Venom...I can't..." I gasped at a heavy pressure filling my chest. It was my blood, the thing that kept me alive was slowly filling my lungs and most likely going to kill me.

"Naruto!" I heard Kakashi join the party. "What happened?!"

"S-She..."

"Naruto stop crying!"

"Sakura saved my life!" Naruto cried. 

I felt my body bend and then be lifted making me feel almost weightless, I wanted to yell out at the shooting pain that was climbing up my body but I couldn't. I had no control over any part of my body, I wanted to sleep. 

Sleep felt natural it felt warm and inviting.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where is she!?" Tsunade stormed through the leaf village hospital. Nurses and staff scurried quickly out of Tsunade's blazing path. "Where is Team Seven?!" Tsunade yelled but didn't stop by the nursing station.

"Ro-Room 407!" A nurse answered, cowering down under Tsunade's distraught gaze. The leaf village Hokage quickly reached the room the nurse had said. Tsunade slammed open the door, inside the room Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke sat around a bed. Naruto and Sasuke looked banged up. Tsunade's gasped, seeing the sleeping body in the crisp hospital bed.

"What the hell happened!?" Tsunade harshly whispered, trying to not stir Sakura awake.

"She saved me." Naruto's eyes were empty as he kept his sight off his team and his Hokage. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the woman who had just saved his life.

"That doesn't tell me anything!" Tsunade snapped.

"We were ambushed." Kakashi stepped in for Naruto.

"Ambushed?" Tsunade shook her head, not wrapping her head around those words. "You are my best team! How the hell did-"

"We don't know all the details." Kakashi remained calm, "But it seems there has been a rogue group terrorizing the south, where the Waterfall Village is located. Sakura has been dealing with them for years."

"I-" Tsunade sighed, rubbing her face and running her hands through her hair. "How could this of happened?"

"She saved Naruto's life." Kakashi answered, turning back to gaze down at Sakura who remained asleep. "She didn't hesitate to place herself between Naruto and that shinobi."

"It seems she has just become reckless." Tsunade huffed.

"Is she going to be ok?" Naruto asked quietly as guilt was eating him away.

"From what the doctors said, the wound is bad." Tsunade didn't sugar coat it. "Whatever the hell is in her system it won't allow us to heal her with chakra."

"Yeah, she said something like that." Naruto confirmed playing this his fingers in his lap.

"I have never seen anything like this, I can't reach Kaguya to ask her about this poison or if they even have an antidote we could use."

"Do we know how long she is going to be asleep?" Sasuke asked looking up from his phone.

"No idea." Tsunade sat down in the free chair by Sakura's side. "We don't know how long this stuff will take to cycle out of her system."

"Great." Sasuke muttered.

"You two-" Tsunade pointed to Sasuke and Naruto, "-I need you to get to the front gates and take over for second shift. We are short today since team nine is out sick."

"Seriously?" Sasuke groaned. "We just got back."

"I don't care, you two get to the gates now. You're lucky I haven't thrown you two out the window for screwing up your mission! Not only has the Waterfall's Commander been injured on our watch, we lost the land of whirlpools money and I had to pay them for bringing you four back here! Now go!"

"Alright." Sasuke sighed, getting up from sitting by the window. Naruto follows Sasuke without another word, but he did glance back at Sakura. Her light pink hair flowed around her; a few strands fell off the bed.

"Ugh." Tsunade groaned as her head throbbed.

Slowly, Sakura began to surface into her conscious. Sakura didn't like this she wanted to drive back down into the pit of sleep she had been lost in. She quickly regained control of her body, pain and all. Her head hurt as she tried to move it, her heart was pumping so fast in her chest.

Sakura's stomach was sour as it rolled around making her mouth salivate as vomit teased her in her throat. She felt hot and sticky with sweat. Her blood felt like thick sand running through her veins. Sakura wanted to call bullshit on all of this, what the hell was she waking up too!?

"Kakashi." Sakura heard a voice beside her, she knew that voice to belong to Tsunade.

"Yes?"

"You should go get some rest." Tsunade told Kakashi as she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"I am fine but thank you Tsunade."

"She is so different." Tsunade laughed, adjusting in her chair feeling uncomfortable.

"She is." Kakashi agreed, he got to see that firsthand. Sakura tried to open her eyes but the surface she had climbed on to regain consciousness was beginning to shake, threatening to drop her back into that black pit of muddy sleep. If she fell back into there, who knows how long she will be down there again.

"I can't believe how much she has grown in the years she has been gone." Tsunade had reached out, running Sakura's soft long hair through her fingers.

"Yes." Kakashi agreed, his favorite book in his hands as he leaned back against his chair.

"She is so much more...more..." Tsunade struggled to describe the hell fire she saw burning inside Sakura's eyes.

"She's not a student anymore."

"Kakashi, she hasn't been our student for a long time." Tsunade chuckled.

"I know that."

"Hey, if I am able to keep her inside the village, would you like me to place her back on your team? I am sure Naruto and Sasuke would love-"

"No." Kakashi interrupted.

"No?"

"How could I allow her back on my team?"

"Be-Because she is Sakura!"

"No, she isn't."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Sakura stopped being Sakura the day she walked out of this village." Kakashi lowered his book and turned towards Tsunade, "She left our village, she abandoned her team. She abandoned the vows she took when she placed that headband on her forehead. How could we trust her after something like that? She is a flight risk-"

"Kakashi..." Tsunade hated how Kakashi spoke so ill of Sakura. Even after she had risked her own life to save Naruto. "...when she left..."

"What?"

"It was my fault." Tears pricked the back of Tsunade eyes, she looked up at the ceiling as she blinked quickly pushing them back.

"What was your fault?" Kakashi wasn't following the conversation.

"I was the reason Sakura left the village."

"What?" Kakashi fully placed his book down.

"She went to you against my orders. You and Naruto were eating at that ramen shop, I interrupted her before she could tell you what was going on."

"Tsunade-" Kakashi sat up, remembering that day. He didn't think much of it then, the distress that was plastered all over Sakura's round baby face, Kakashi thought Sakura was just having another meltdown because Sasuke was gone.

"I was terrified, you didn't see how she waved her hand and destroyed the training grounds. She couldn't control what had happened to her and I was so worried she was going to do the same thing she did to the training grounds to the village, she could have killed someone! I kicked her out Kakashi..." Tsunade breathed the truth out. Her chest deflated, after five long years of the guilt eating away at her Tsunade finally told someone the truth.

"You..." Kakashi tried to wrap his head around this concept.

"I banished her; I forced her parents to pack her a bag. I threatened Sakura to keep what had happened a secret. It is why her parents left the village after-"

"She was a child." Kakashi felt anger flare inside his chest, he lost a thick layer of respect for Tsunade.

"I know..." Tsunade sighed. "...I felt terrible, I still do! But even threatening her the way I did, I never thought she would truly leave. After I came to my senses, that is when I pulled you and your team into my office and told you Sakura went out on a mission alone and vanished."

"You lied to us?" Kakashi stood, Tsunade quickly followed suit. "You lied to this entire village?"

"Because..." Tsunade racked her brain, trying to think of words that she could place together that would justify what she had done.

"Because?" Kakashi waited, Tsunade felt panicked!

"Because at the time you were in love with her!" Tsunade blurted out. All sound seemed to drain away from the room leaving awkward tension as the two shinobi stared at each other. "Oh, come on Kakashi!" Tsunade broke under the silence. "How could I not see it!? The way you looked at her, you lit up when she was around."

"What did my feelings have to do with anything you did to Sakura?"

"Because you would have went after her-"

"And that is a bad thing?"

"Yes--I mean no! I just...you would have failed in trying to tame her power and so you would have left the village with her!"

"You don't know if we would have failed." Kakashi shoved his hand in his pockets.

"But if you did you would have left with her."

"She was a child." Kakashi closed his exposed eye, "I was her sensei, I placed my emotions a side, I distanced myself as I should have and never trained her alone. Your right, I would have left with her not because I felt something for her but because it would have been the right thing to do. She was sixteen and needed a hand to guide her, as her sensei I should have been informed-"

"I know." Tsunade agreed, "I really thought she was killed Kakashi, after her headband was found scratched up and bloody...I really thought she was gone."

"But?"

"I heard rumors about the Waterfall Village, they became such a huge force in such a small amount of time so naturally I got together with a few other village leaders. We investigated them to see if they were a threat or not, rumors got around about their Commander a woman with long pink hair. I took a shot in the dark and sent out a request to them, saying the leaf village was under an unknown threat."

"You lied to get her here?" Kakashi turned to look at Sakura.

"I didn't truly know it was her until she walked into my office. I found out she was alive the same day you did." Tsunade promised.

"I see." Kakashi said gazing at Sakura's face. If it wasn't for her hair color Kakashi would not have been able to recognize her. She had changed in so many ways...

"Problem is..." Tsunade awkwardly laughed. "...I don't have a threat to our village. When she finds out she may actually kill me."

"I believe that." Kakashi muttered remembering back to how she took down those Reapers with ease. "What are you going to do?"

"Me!?" Tsunade gasped.

"Yes."

"Well I kind of thought..." Tsunade laughed. "...that you and Team Seven would help me get her to want to stay."

"What?" Kakashi wanted to laugh at her terrible plan. "That will never work."

"How do you know!?" Tsunade pouted.

"This woman-" Kakashi gestured to Sakura, "-is not the student we both knew."

"I know that!"

"Clearly you don't." Kakashi said putting his book away in his pouch. "This woman in this bed is the Commander of another village. I don't think we can do anything to get her to want to stay in a village she was banished from."

"We have to try." Tsunade sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why?" Kakashi stopped from leaving the room, "Because that will make you feel better?"

"No, because Sakura belongs here."

"If she did truly belong here, then you never would have kicked her out." Kakashi turned on his heel and left Tsunade to question her actions for the hundredth time alone.

\----

Naruto rocked back and forth in his chair feeling bored. After standing guard all day at the gates, he now was sitting inside the hospital. It was still strange for Naruto to look at Sakura. She didn't look like how he remembered her, Naruto felt like if he moved his eyes off her she would evaporate, and this would all have been one intense dream.

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs as he stared into the screen of his phone, flicking through faceless names which belonged to the women he liked to sleep around with. Sakura opened her eyes to see white ceiling tile. Her lips feel chapped and her throat was scratchy. She had more control over her body this time as she began to move, trying to stretch her tense muscles. Tsunade and Kakashi were also in the room, on opposite ends with thick tension brewing between the two.

"Sakura!" Naruto leaped up, seeing the movement. Tsunade stood and everyone gathered around the bed.

"Hey-" Tsunade quickly placed a soft hand on Sakura's shoulder who felt warm, she was solid, she was here with them. Tears began to fill Tsunade's eyes, she blinked them away and pulled her attention onto the woman trying to get out of bed. "-you shouldn't move too much."

"Hm." Sakura groaned, feeling the pain in her side.

"Do you remember what happened?" Naruto asked, he scooped up Sakura's right hand with his as his heart was pounding.

"I was stabbed-" Sakura half mocked. "-I wasn't hit on the head; I know what happened." Naruto laughed, letting out a pocket of air from his lungs.

"Thank goodness!"

"What I don't know is how the hell we are in the Leaf Village." Sakura looked around the hospital room.

"You underestimate Team Seven. You out of everyone should know that is not a smart thing to do." Tsunade laughed. Sakura looked down at her hand in Naruto, after a second of thinking it over she decided she was too tired to give a damn about it.

"How long have I been out?" Sakura brought her free hand up and rubbed her face out of habit.

"Four days." Tsunade answered.

"Hm." Sakura hummed a response. "I had a weird dream." Sakura said not realizing she was recalling some of the conversation Kakashi and Tsunade had while Sakura was drifting in and out of sleep.

"Oh, I am sure you did!" Tsunade laughed. "With some of the drugs you were on I wouldn't be surprised if you could taste color." Naruto chuckled at the joke. Sakura fought the yawn from her lips and the burning sensation on her eyes to go back to sleep. She started to move to sit up, only to be stopped by Tsunade and Naruto. "What do you think you are doing?!" Tsunade demanded to know.

"Getting up?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"You have a hole in your side!" Tsunade yelled, as if it was the most basic thing in the world.

"And?" Sakura asked.

"And!?" Tsunade yelled feeling flabbergasted, "There doesn't need to be an and!"

"You said when we got back, there would be a village meeting about the threat on your village-" Naruto didn't like when Sakura said, 'your village'..."-that was four days ago. Tell me what's going on."

"This is not the time-" Tsunade nervously said, she felt herself begin to sweat.

"There is a threat on your village." Sakura stated, "There is never a right time but sooner is always better than later-"

"Your injured-" Tsunade's filled with worry as Sakura got out of bed against Naruto trying to keep her down but trying to stay gentle at the same time.

"That the best you got?" Sakura teased Naruto making him blush as she moved past him. Kakashi moved to get in Sakura's way.

"Sakura you-"

"Tsunade." Sakura cut the Hokage off turning to look at her across the bed. "I am fine."

"You are far from fine! You can't be healed-"

"I am fully aware of how this poison works-"

"Then you shouldn't be fighting me with staying in bed and-"

"I have had worse." Sakura brushed off, "I will live." Tsunade didn't care, she kept nagging Sakura who was busy looking through her bag for clothes to wear. Sakura wasn't a fan of the baggy hospital pants and shirt she had on.

Kakashi watched Sakura in silence as questions he didn't think to wonder began to float around in his mind. If she has had worse than this injury, what has Sakura been through while gone from the leaf village? Sakura refused to remain inside the hospital, she didn't need to take up a bed. Sakura kept demanding to be told about the threat against the leaf village. Tsunade compromised with Sakura and said they would talk about it in the morning if Sakura returned to one of team seven's apartment and got rest.

Tsunade didn't want Sakura to be alone just in case something was to happen. Sakura didn't like Sasuke, and she didn't want to tolerate Naruto who was glued to her, asking her if she needed everything under the fucking sun. He was driving her insane, all Sakura did was save his life. Naruto needed to get over it and move on.

The last choice was Kakashi, which Sakura agreed to because what the hell could she do? Sakura was laying on Kakashi's couch with the TV on low and she drifted in and out. She felt out of place, she never thought she would ever be inside Kakashi's apartment let alone sleeping on his couch. Sakura felt a warm hand on her forehead, she opened her eyes seeing a familiar masked face.

"Your awake."

"Mhm." Sakura muttered, Kakashi chuckled seeing she was drifting off.

"I have to run to the store; I will be back." Kakashi explained as he pulled the blanket from resting at Sakura's waist up to her shoulders.

"Your leaving?" Sakura muttered, liking the warmth the blanket brought.

"I won't be long; do you need anything?"

"Mhm." Sakura muttered again, causing Kakashi to smile under his mask as he stood up and left his apartment, glancing back at the woman who reminded him nothing of the student he once knew. Kakashi had planned to just get items to make Sakura dinner but Tsunade got in the way. She pulled him into her office, hoping she could drag him into her web of lies and figure out what they were going to say to Sakura when morning came.

Sakura flickered her eyes open; she saw Kakashi's living room, she couldn't see the kitchen due to the back of the couch. Sakura could hear Naruto and Sasuke bickering in hushed tones, she yawned as the front door opened her yawn stopped mid-way as Kakashi walked in. Wasn't he the one who was supposed to be babysitting her?

"Your awake." Kakashi commented closing the front door.

"Yeah." She rubbed her face as Kakashi walked his way to her, he kneeled down beside her as he placed a plastic bag on the ground. She watched him with caution, in all the time she had been under his watch before being kicked out of the leaf village she was never this close to him. He smelled nice. Kakashi placed his hand against her forehead, causing Sakura's eyes to widen.

"You don't have a fever." Kakashi said pulling out a pill bottle from Tsunade. "That's good." Kakashi smiled with his exposed eye.

"I am not taking those." Sakura glared, seeing through Kakashi's kind exterior.

"Still hate taking pills huh?" Kakashi chuckled as he stood up. "Well, you need to eat first and-" Kakashi stopped talking as he saw the trashed kitchen with two shinobi cooking two separate dinners.

"You are not doing it right." Sasuke lectured.

"You're not doing it right!" Naruto snapped, "Mind your business!"

"What are you two doing?" Kakashi asked, walking into his kitchen.

"Cooking!" Naruto smiled bright raising his arms above his head.

"I am cooking." Sasuke had to clarify, "Naruto is burning."

"I am not!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh my God you're trying to kill me." Sakura said, standing behind the three men who all jumped not having heard her move.

"Why are you up!?" Naruto shouted concerned.

"Because I may need to escape." Sakura said looking at the so-called food that was being prepared.

"Don't worry!" Naruto waved off with his hand, "My dinner will taste great, I don't know about Sasuke's but-"

"If anything is even edible in here, it's mine!" Sasuke defended his cooking.

"That's what she said." Naruto giggled.

"You are such a child!" Sasuke yelled.

"If I don't die from my side, I will definitely die from this." Sakura muttered looking at the brown goo that popped in the nearby pan, Sakura was pretty sure it was looking at her.

"Go!" Naruto said, lightly pushing Sakura out of the kitchen. "You too Kakashi! We got this; I make this all the time!" Sakura felt a little sorry for Naruto, he sounded so confidant in his cooking skills. How the hell has he fed himself all these years without giving himself food poisoning?

Sakura pulled her lips together unsure of how she was going to get out of eating whatever was growing in the kitchen. To her luck, it was time to change the bandage on her side, Sakura didn't give a damn how small the window in Kakashi's bathroom would be, she will find a way to squeeze through it.

Kakashi's bathroom didn't have a window.

Well what now? Sakura moved her shirt up and bit the fabric, holding it in place as she pulled the bandage off her side. The pain tingled her spine, she wrapped up the used bandage and threw it away. Sakura leaned back against the wall, holy damn she was already tired. She opened her mouth, catching her shirt before it fell against the overly sensitive skin. She sighed, closing her eyes as her head rested against the wall.

"Sakura?" Kakashi knocked, Sakura opened her eyes. Did she fall asleep? Sakura turned her head, Kakashi was standing in the doorway. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah?" Sakura said, pulling herself off the wall. She picked up the package of gauze.

"Here." Kakashi moved into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He took the medical supplies from Sakura's hand and kneeled.

"I can-"

"I don't mind." Kakashi's deep voice and his warm hands brushing against Sakura's exposed stomach sent shivers through her body. Kakashi and Sakura didn't exchange words as Kakashi cleaned and redressed Sakura's side. "I don't know about you-" Kakashi chuckled, "-but I don't think the food those two are cooking will be edible."

"I'm pretty sure what Naruto is trying to make was looking at me." Sakura cracked a smile as Kakashi stood.

"Come on." Kakashi took Sakura's hand and lead them out of the bathroom. She stared at Kakashi's hand wrapped around hers. He led them into the living room. "Get your shoes on." Kakashi whispered, she looked up at him. There was a twinkle in his one exposed eye, whatever it was it sparked Sakura's mischievous side and she willingly did as she was told.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke glared at the two with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We have to go to the store." Kakashi calmly answered.

"The store?" Naruto walked up beside Sasuke. "What for? Wait, weren't you just there?"

"And why can't you go, and Sakura stay here with us?" Sasuke added on.

"I need tampons." Sakura stood from the couch.

"Eh!?" Naruto choked up, Sasuke uncrossed his arms and shifted his feet. Sakura never understood why some men were uncomfortable with a woman's period.

"Are you two ok with going to buy me what I need?" Sakura called to the two who were pretending to be busy with their cooking. Sakura and Kakashi left the apartment taking full advantage of Sasuke and Naruto's uneasiness.

Sakura followed Kakashi out of the building and through the sleepy streets of the leaf village. Sakura gazed around her surroundings; it had been a long time since she walked these streets. Kakashi watched Sakura from the corner of his exposed eye. The moon light shined off the strands of her pink hair, reflecting off her glowing orbs of the blazing green that painted Sakura's eyes. Kakashi couldn't stop the thought of how radiant she appeared in this moment as they walked in silence.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked pulling her attention onto Kakashi. Kakashi felt his eye widen in the sudden change of her attention, he quickly looked ahead.

"I thought you would like something to eat tonight that won't end up killing you." Kakashi smiled under his mask, turning back to look at Sakura who chuckled. Kakashi liked when her lips were tilted up when Sakura showed she was amused by something. Kakashi had taken Sakura to a small restaurant, the two were sat in a booth sitting across from each other.

"So-" Sakura spoke up after the two ordered their dinner from the server, the silence between them was nice but awkward. They were not old friends catching up, the fact they were even sitting here was odd enough. "-still on a team with those two?" Sakura laughed at the thought.

"Yes." Kakashi smiled, looking down at the table in front of him.

"That's good." Sakura allowed the conversation to die as she gazed out the window.

"Sakura-" Kakashi's darkened tone pulled Sakura back inside the restaurant. "-I'm sorry." Sakura stared at Kakashi, then glanced around her.

"For what?" She asked, the casual atmosphere she provided caused Kakashi to smile again. He couldn't stop smiling when he was around her.

"Tsunade told me." Kakashi said, he found himself feeling nervous. He rubbed his ungloved hands on the top of his pants. What was going on with him today?

"Oh." Sakura leaned back against the booth.

"And I am sorry-" Kakashi added to his statement, "-for that night, I should have listened more and I-"

"Kakashi I-" Sakura started but then snapped her mouth shut, looking out the window again. Kakashi noticed how Sakura didn't call him sensei and he oddly liked that factor. When Naruto and Sasuke stopped calling him sensei it was weird and a little unsettling but when Sakura said only his name, it just hit differently. Sakura's sigh brought Kakashi back to reality. "-I don't see what the point of having this conversation."

"I just thought you would want-"

"You think I want your apology?" Sakura laughed shaking her head. "What good does that do me?"

"Closure?"

"I don't need closure." Sakura leaned on her arm. "It would be you and Tsunade looking for it. I am not interested in having a heart to heart and a group cry." Kakashi was about to respond but stopped, seeing the server bring the food. Sakura thanked the server who smiled and left them alone to enjoy their meals. "Is that why you brought me here?" Sakura picked up her fork, glancing at Kakashi and trying to read his reaction.

"No." Kakashi answered honestly.

"Hm." Sakura took a bite of the pasta she ordered. Conversation between the two all but died. Sakura looked up after staring off into space, Kakashi's plate was empty. "Still with the mask?" Sakura wondered in a bored tone. Kakashi only smiled and closed his exposed eye as he did so. Sakura rolled her eyes,

"I was impressed." Out of the blue Kakashi complimented.

"Huh?"

"On the mission, your skill has drastically improved. I can see why you are Commander of the Waterfall Village."

"Uh..." Sakura didn't know how to react; she didn't like being complimented. Kaguya never did it because she felt it babied Sakura and no one else in the waterfall village would willingly talk to Sakura since she was their boss.

"Can I ask who trained you?" Kakashi threaded lightly,

"Kaguya." Sakura answered, smiling to herself waiting for the reaction she always got. She watched Kakashi's eye widen in surprise for a moment. She laughed at his expression, turning back to her pasta.

"You uh..." Kakashi was at a loss for words.

"She is not like before." Sakura said, reading the look in his eye. "She hasn't gone crazy on me yet."

"I trust you." Kakashi smiled, "I am proud of you, Sakura." She looked up at him, she didn't need appraisal from other people, but Sakura found herself feeling delighted Kakashi was proud, Sakura leaned back on her arm studying Kakashi. The poor bastard had no idea just how broken she was, if he ever saw just how unsavable Sakura was, he would be so disappointed.

"You said Tsunade told you the truth?" Sakura was a little curious what everyone thought had happened to Sakura Haruno. "What did she tell you when I vanished?"

"It was four days." Kakashi said. "We were wondering where you were after four days. That was when Tsunade pulled us into her office and explained you went out on a solo mission, but you never came back."

"That's the best she could come up with?" Sakura laughed, "Terrible."

"She declared you fallen after six days." Kakashi went on to explain. Sakura was surveying Kakashi, there an emotion in his eye, pain? No, that couldn't be right.

"It's kinda funny." Sakura smiled to herself.

"What is?" Kakashi wondered.

"You said it was four days before you all came looking or me?"

"Yes?"

"I waited three." Sakura laughed at the irony.

"I am so sorry-"

"I don't want to hear those words, that word means nothing to me. This isn't a conversation you want to have with me Kakashi." Sakura warned.

"Then what can I do?"

"What?" Sakura laughed, "What the hell do you mean what can you do? Can you go back in time and stop Tsunade? Or how about you go all the way back, actually give a damn and train me like you trained Naruto and Sasuke?"

"I-"

"Did you think I was going to say some cheap shit like being banished made me stronger?"

"You were a child; you didn't need to be stronger you needed to be safe."

"Your preaching to the quire."

"That is what I told Tsunade." Kakashi sighed, rubbing the side of his head.

"Told Tsunade what?" Sakura asked.

"That I should have been told what she did to you."

"Did she tell you why she didn't?"

"Yes."

"Well do you care to share?"

"She was worried I would have left the village with you."

"Yeah right-" Sakura scoffed.

"She would have been right." Kakashi's serious tone sent a shiver down Sakura's arms. She cleared her throat looking anywhere but Kakashi. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" Kakashi questioned, Sakura looked back to survey him.

"Sure." She answered.

\----

Three days had passed; today was the day Sakura was finally getting briefed on the mystical threat against the leaf village. Sakura had finally been able to contact Kaguya who had lost her phone. Kaguya said she would get Dawn, a woman Sakura put as her second in command to investigate the Reapers migration.

Kaguya wanted Sakura to focus on recovery, but Sakura believed Kaguya enjoyed the fact Sakura was being tortured by being inside the leaf village. Sakura was inside the apartment Tsunade let her borrow. She was on a laptop also borrowed from Tsunade talking to her second and third commanders of the waterfall village.

"If Kaguya knew we were talking to you, and not letting you rest you know she would kill us, right?" Diem, Sakura's third command joked.

"Don't get caught then?" Sakura half joked, because she knew Diem was right. "How is everything going over there?"

"Boring." Dawn scoffed. "Not a damn exciting thing has happened! You're the only one having fun!"

"Oh yeah-" Sakura rolled her eyes. "-I am having so much fun."

"But really Sakura-" Diem spoke up. "-don't worry, we will handle the Reapers. You have their poison in your system you should really take cover until it is gone."

"I am taking it easy-" Sakura stopped speaking as she watched the front door open.

"Sakura!" Naruto sang as he just walked in. Sakura sighed, already having a headache. Sasuke and Kakashi were behind him. Sakura turned, glaring at the screen at her laughing commanders. 

"Good luck!" Dawn and Diem called, hanging up the video chat.

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head. "Who was that?" He muttered.

"My commanders." Sakura answered, standing from the couch closing the laptop.

"Commanders?" Sasuke had his arms crossed over his chest, why was there more than one commander?

"My second and third." Sakura clarified. "If something happens to me, they are there as...backups." Sakura put it.

"What would happen to you?" Naruto dumbly asked. Sakura raised an eyebrow, and then glanced at Kakashi.

"If I was killed in battle or something." Sakura turned back to Naruto. "They are there so the Waterfall Village doesn't collapse." Naruto looked down, he didn't like thinking about Sakura and dying in the same sentence. Naruto was still seeing Sakura jumping in front of him and saving his life but almost losing hers, when he closed his eyes.

"Are you ready to go Sakura?" Kakashi asked Sakura, changing the subject. She nodded; she was finally going to be get briefed on the threat, she could then track it and take it down then return to where she belongs, the waterfall village.

Sakura followed team seven through the village, where once more she was stared at like she was on show. Team seven was meeting Tsunade in the Hokage tower from what Sakura understood. They walked straight through with little interruption. Kakashi held the door open for Sakura, once she stepped into the office Tsunade smiled, beaming with delight.

"Sakura!" Tsunade greeted.

"Tell me." Sakura cut to the chase.

"Ugh." Tsunade was not a fan of how blunt Sakura had become. "We have been having small attacks-" Tsunade went on to explain how leaf village teams were getting jumped. Other people traveling to the leaf village had also been getting attacked and robbed. Kakashi's eye twitched he knew she was lying to Sakura, using the information Kakashi had given her when they first returned with Sakura injured to make up a story in order to keep Sakura around longer. Kakashi glanced over towards Sakura, if this Reaper's group really was beginning to migrate then that meant Sakura would have to remain here?

"But why would they even migrate in the first place?" Sasuke asked.

"When the Reaper's first popped up they were going after smaller villages, then as they got stronger, they began getting braver hitting large ones." Sakura said.

"But what turned you onto them?" Tsunade wondered.

"They tried coming after the Waterfall Village." Sakura closed her eyes; she didn't like to remember this far back into her past.

"Yeah but...that doesn't explain why your so-" Naruto started,

"They are a group of shinobi who kill people for fun, do I really need a reason?" Sakura snapped, Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets. So, the Reapers were one of Sakura's buttons.

"I suppose not..." Tsunade trailed off. "Do you believe it is this group of Reapers that are attacking us?" Tsunade sounded so innocent.

"It's possible." Sakura answered. "I haven't seen them this far out yet. We did just hit them pretty hard so I thought they would need more time to recover."

"Hit them hard?" Naruto questioned Sakura's words.

"We attacked one of their bases." Sakura explained scratching her arm. "It was a fairly large camp, and we killed a couple dozen of them."

"Wow." Naruto breathed; Sakura was so cool!

"Why go after villages?" Tsunade pondered.

"Because the villages are like trophies to the Reapers, the bigger the village-"

"The bigger the trophy." Tsunade finished, Sakura nodded her head. Now they were starting to get it. "This is a freaking game to them!"

"You said they don't go near large villages, why are they near us then?" Sasuke thought out loud. 

"Because the Reapers are now stronger than this village, they want their trophy." Sakura explained.

"What?" Sasuke and Naruto scoffed together.

"That is impossible." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as if that could make his fantasy true.

"Yeah okie." Sakura laughed, "You three are quote 'the best team' and you could barely keep up with the groups we ran into while on the way to the land of whirlpools. Those shinobi were the newbies of the Reapers, how do you think you can fair against an actual member? If what you say is true Tsunade, you need to get your village ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"War." Sakura answered.


	5. Chapter 5

Since it seemed the leaf village was the Reapers next target, I now had the delightful task of remaining inside their village. Kaguya agreed with herself that it was better if I do not travel with my side still healing. And since I was stuck here, I have been helping the leaf shinobi train.

Most of them were stuck in their ways and fought me on my technique but it was something to do, I guess. Walking through the street I stopped moving when I saw a familiar store Naruto, Sasuke and myself would go to every day after training to get a snack. I turned, walking inside the small convenience store.

I remember laughing at Naruto who got insulted by Sasuke. Of course, Naruto got angry and tried to go after him, Sasuke was able to push him away with careless effort. Naruto slammed into the glass door, leaving a crack in it. I remember feeling scared that I would get into trouble so once I saw Sasuke run away I followed him leaving Naruto to deal with the pain in his back and the owner who was yelling.

Shaking the unwanted memories from sight, I walked away from the glass door that had broken but had long been repaired. I grabbed a few needed items and left the store without another memory popping up without permission. Once back in the apartment I was staying in I put everything away.

I awkwardly picked up my heavy bag and placed it on the couch and began to go through it. There was a knock on the door after a while of me being here alone. I looked over at the door feeling a little bored. I decided to not answer it.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, coming through the hole in the wall causing me to sigh. "You took too long answering the door!" He laughed walking in as if he lived here.

"I can see that." I saw Sasuke following him in. Kakashi wasn't with them like he normally was, I wonder where he was.

"What are you doing Sakura?" Naruto asked looking around. Wait, I ignored Naruto why was I wondering where Kakashi was? Who the hell cared?

"Are you moving in?" Sasuke looked around.

"For the time being." I answered.

"This place still looks abandoned." Sasuke muttered, I chose to ignore his comment so there wouldn't be a second hole in the wall.

"Cool!" Naruto yelled walking over towards me.

"Hey, we are going to a picnic in an hour, you wanna come?" Naruto invited me.

"A picnic?" I asked feeling my face scrunch up at the idea, I wasn't twelve. "No." I answered turning away.

"Please! The Jonin plan one every year, and Hinata oversees it so we have to go to support her!" Naruto whined.

"Then go." I said with a lazy shrug.

"But Hinata asked me to invite you." Naruto said playing with his fingers.

"Your lying." I called bullshit.

"You know she would have!" Naruto sighed dramatically.

"You asked me for my opinion, and I gave it to you." I felt like I was speaking to a three-year-old.

"The others from our class would like you to come." Sasuke butted in.

"I give a damn because...?" I trailed off.

"Please Sakura!" Naruto begged.

"Get out." Was my response.

"It will be fun!" Naruto said.

"I don't care."

"There will be free food!"

"That is your thing."

"Sakura!" Naruto cried plopping onto the couch. He said something but it was muffled into the couch cushion. I think team seven was getting too comfortable around me, I wasn't here to fuck around and have fun.

I am here waiting for the Reapers to attack and in the meantime, I was training their stubborn ass shinobi how to not die should they come in contract with a member from the Reapers.

A half hour past by and Naruto was still moping on the couch, I rolled my eyes at his dramatic behavior. Sasuke was glued to his phone as I looked around the apartment as an idea bloomed into my thoughts. I sighed, not liking it but it was the easiest way to make my life a little easier.

"Naruto." I called. He muttered a response but again, he was face first on the couch so I couldn't make out his words. "I will go for one hour-" I couldn't even get the rest of my sentence out before Naruto high dived off the couch and ran towards me trying to hug me.

"Sakura!" I stepped past him, allowing him to fly forward into the fridge.

"My side." I reminded.

"R-Right." Naruto laughed bouncing up like a fucking cartoon character. "I forgot."

"I will go for an hour on one condition." I finished.

"Huh? Condition?"

"Yes, you have to come with me to the training sessions Tsunade so graciously put me in charge of."

"Eh? Why?"

"Because your peers are morons." I said.

"They are your peers too." Sasuke said never looking from his phone.

"Was." I corrected him. "Do we have a deal?" I asked Naruto.

"You get up so early!" Naruto whined.

"Take it or leave it." I said turning.

"Ok, Ok!" Naruto jumped. "I'll take it!" I smirked.

"That's what she said-" I copied his joke from when the night we all were in Kakashi's apartment. "-go get dressed." I waved him away from me. Naruto laughed at my comment and bounced through the hole in the wall. I thought about that for a moment...that was Sasuke's apartment, why not just go through the front door of mine-never mind, I was not about to try and figure out Naruto's logic.

"I guess I will go get ready as well." Sasuke sighed as if was a chore, which in this case it was a chore. I moved towards the small bedroom to change clothes. Twenty minutes later Naruto and Sasuke popped back into sight.

Naruto was wearing blue jeans, a black shirt and an orange zip up hoodie over it. Sasuke was wearing dark blue jeans a park purple shirt and a black zip up hood over it. I watched them to look at each other for a moment.

"I think we are hanging out too much." Naruto laughed, Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You look nice Sakura." Naruto smiled, I looked down at my person. All I wore were dark jeans and a baggy shirt.

"Mhm." I muttered, picking up my phone and taking it off its charger.

"Hey Sakura, I think you dropped this." I looked over; Naruto had a photo in his hand. I walked over as he studied it, he looked up at me and handed the picture to me. "Who are they?" Naruto asked, seeing the nine people including me were standing in the picture.

"They were my team." I said, walking away into the bedroom to put the picture back in my bag. It must have fallen out while I was going through it.

"Were?" Sasuke asked, "Why were? Did you get bored of them too?" Sasuke really was an idiot.

"They died." I called, watching him choke on the water bottle he was drinking. He was lucky I didn't take it and shove it down his fucking throat.

"I-I am sorry Sakura." Naruto apologized for no reason.

"Aren't we going to be late?" I asked, Naruto gasped.

"We can't! All the good food will be gone then!" Naruto grabbed my wrist and dragged me along with him. When we finally got to the place where the 'picnic' was getting held I concluded I was fucking lied to. The entire village was here, and this was no picnic it was a full-blown festival.

"Sakura!" Hinata sounded shocked, "I am so glad you came!" She smiled, that generally did not sound forced, good for her.

"Yeah..." I looked around feeling out of place. Hinata was blushing and watching Naruto who gawked at the food, I elbowed him in the side.

"Ow! What did I-" He cut himself off seeing Hinata. "Oh, hi Hinata! The picnic is amazing, great job!" I think I needed to explain to Naruto what a picnic was. I sat beside Naruto and watched everyone interact with each other.

No one came near me or tried to spark up a conversation, which I enjoyed. Scanning the area, I spotted Kakashi. This was the first time I was seeing him today, he stood beside Guy who was bouncier than Naruto was.

I felt someone sit beside me, I turned my head wondering who the fuck had the balls after the performance at the training grounds before I left with team seven on that damn mission. I internally groaned, seeing Ino had a large smile painted on her face. She didn't have balls; she was just dim.

"Hey Sakura!" Her voice was so sweet I think got a cavity, she wanted something.

"Yes Ino?" I sighed; I was too sober for these people.

"I have a fun idea!" She sounded excited.

"And what might that be?" I asked leaning on my elbow.

"We should have a friendly match!"

"Match?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean we are still at the training grounds."

"Oh, you mean a fight?" I realized and laughed from the bottom of my stomach, it hurt my side, but I continued to laugh.

"What's so funny!?" Ino was offended.

"You."

"I am being serious!"

"Which makes it so much funnier."

"You think you can take me?" Ino challenged.

"I..." Was Ino always this stupid? "...I don't know even know how to respond to that."

"You get up and fight me."

"Yeah-" I sighed; "-I don't need Tsunade even more on my ass because I hospitalized one of her shinobi by mistake." I rubbed my neck feeling stiff.

"Well that isn't going to-"

"Bye Ino." I cut her off, getting up and walked away. Has it been an hour, can I leave? Where was Naruto? I was looking around at the packed area when I felt something run up behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head. She was a fucking moron after all.

Ino tried to run up behind me, I knew her plan was to grab my arm and twist it behind my back, clearly, I wasn't going to let that happen. I waited for Ino to touch my wrist, once she did, I twisted bringing my arm over my head and spinning until I stood behind Ino. I twisted her arm hard, I did not like being fucked with.

"OW!" She screamed over the music, breaking the atmosphere of the 'picnic'.

"Now I am pretty sure I said no to your little offer." I twisted her arm harder, "Do you know what no means?"

"Ye-Yes." Ino cried out. I felt everyone's eyes on us. I sighed, letting go of Ino and pushing her forward, she stumbled almost falling face first into the grass.

"Sakura!?" Naruto ran over to me. "Are you ok!?"

"I am the one who got hurt!" Ino yelled at Naruto.

"Sakura how is your side?" Naruto ignored Ino,

"I am fine." I stated.

"You attacked me!" Ino yelled, holding her arm as tears fell from her eyes. Wait, what is going on? Was Ino really playing the victim here?

"She did not." Someone from behind me laughed, the voice belonged to Kiba, "You challenged her, and she declined stop being the attention whore and let people go back to enjoying their night."

"Shut up!" Ino screamed at Kiba, this was really happening right now. I watched as Ino charged forward, she swung her fist. I heard Naruto yelling something about my side as I caught Ino's fist in my hand.

"You don't want to do this." I told her ignoring the commotion around us. She ignored me, using her free arm to try and strike me. I sighed, I guess we were doing this. How pissed would Tsunade be if I snapped her arm?

Hm... Tsunade wasn't my boss so it really didn't matter. I moved my head avoiding Ino's fist as I tightened my grip on Ino's wrist and bent it. Ino cried, dropping the ground. I didn't break the damn thing maybe just a fracture, your welcome Ino.

"You're crazy!" She yelled.

"I'm the crazy one?" I chuckled. "I am not the one randomly attacking people here."

"You broke my arm!"

"I did not." I rolled my eyes, "I probably just fractured it."

"F-Fractured!" Ino cried still holding her arm.

"I don't know why you're still here, go to the hospital." I told her; she didn't respond she just looked over to her right. I followed her gaze and saw she was looking at Sasuke, who leaned against a bench on his little phone. She was doing all of this to get his attention.

"Neh." I said scrunching my face up seeing this, pathetic. "Don't wait too long to get your arm looked at-" I told her. "-you don't want it to get displaced and require surgery."

"Just shut up-" Ino breathed, "-you ruined everything you stupid bitch!" Ino screamed at me. I smiled down at Ino; you have got to love stupid people. I raised my right arm and slammed it down against her fair cheek. Her head whipped sideways; blood sprayed from her lips.

I sighed, after how I was with Naruto at the training grounds and now with Ino I was sure going to get hell when I had to train those out of shape fucks. I cleared my throat as TenTen helped Ino stand. No one was saying anything making this situation very awkward, I glanced behind me, fuck me even Naruto was fucking shocked and didn't know what to say.

"Sakura-" Hinata moved beside me, I watched her touch my shoulder. "-are you alright?"

Oh? I was expecting her to ask me to leave. I opened my mouth to tell her that I was fine when I heard a struggle in front of me, I looked up seeing Ino taking a step back because she attempted to throw a kunai my way, only for it to curve and its course was now aimed at Hinata's head. Ok, this was getting old.

I pulled Hinata into me. I flinched at the pain in my side, I ignored it catching the kunai before it could fly behind me and strike someone else. People gasped and mutters flooded the crowd. Oh, now people want to talk! My free arm reached down and touched the area beside the gash on my side.

"Are you ok?" I asked Hinata, her eyes were round like the moon as she stared forward. "Ok then." I said seeing she wasn't going to be useful for a couple minutes.

I saw from the corner of my eye the jonin were now acting, well too fucking late I am doing it!

"I don't know what the fuck you people are doing here." I growled out; eyes locked onto Ino. She backed away looking scared, that won't work on me. I pushed her up against a nearby tree, "Let's get one thing crystal clear-" I spat into her face. "-if you want to raise a weapon against me, go for it. But you better be prepared to kill me with it because if you don't you will be the one to lose your life." I stabbed the kunai into the tree against her head. "Crazy bitch." I shook my head and backed away.

"What is going on here!?" Tsunade yelled coming onto the scene.

"Oh, I'll tell you what the fuck is going on." I snapped; I pressed my hand next to the gash on my side like it would do anything for the pain.

"Sakura!?" Tsunade became alarmed, "Are you alright?"

"No, one of your shinobi attacked me." I glared into Tsunade's eyes. "You're lucky I didn't kill her."

"Sakura-" Tsunade waved, believing the words I just spoke were an over dramatic joke.

"Tsunade." I lightly laughed, "One of your shinobi just openly attacked another village's representative. If I was anyone else this would be a declaration of war." Tsunade looked from me then to Ino, two black op members had their hands on her.

"It's your call." Tsunade told me. "Do you want to press charges?" I turned and looked at Hinata.

"Yes." I answered, everyone around me gasped. As if how could I want charges pressed against the unstable lady who just attacked me.

"Sa-Sakura are you sure-?"

"I had to reopen my side so I could stop Ino's kunai from hitting Hinata." I turned to face my body in Tsunade's direction. "I am not doing this because of me, I don't give a damn what you do with her but clearly she is mentally unstable. And as this village's leader you should want to make sure your shinobi are all well-adjusted."

"Sakura-"

"This is your only warning Tsunade." I said seeing Tsunade was not taking my advice seriously. Ino could have killed Hinata tonight because why, she got a little upset? Why was Tsunade brushing this off like this was nothing? I don't care, this wasn't my village. Not my rules, not my problem.

"Take her into custody." Tsunade surprised me, I thought she would tell Ino to go home and eat some sugar or something.

"What!?" Ino trashed against the masked black ops who held her tight.

"Sakura is correct." Tsunade said stepping up, "Ino, you are way out of line."

"Oh, shut up you old hag!" Ino snapped, once again creating a line of gasps in the crowd. Even I was taken back a little. I do not think Tsunade knew what to do, she just glared at Ino. "You are a shit leader-" Ino spat out, oh she wasn't done talking. This was taking a long time to wrap up, why don't they just hit her over the head? Knock her out and shut her the hell up already. "I don't even know why you're the Hokage!"

"That is enough Ino!" Tsunade yelled.

"I will never take orders from someone like you!" Ino laughed, is she on drugs right now? "Are you going to banish me too Tsunade?" I looked up from the ground. Oh, this just got interesting I looked back and forth from Ino to Tsunade. I really wished I had popcorn right now. "I mean that is what you do with problems right?"

"Take her away now!" Tsunade yelled,

"Why?" Ino laughed, "So the truth behind why Sakura really vanished from the village doesn't get out."

"What is she talking about?" People muttered, great Ino was getting the reaction from the crowd she wanted.

"That's right!" Ino laughed, "Your beloved Lady Tsunade, banished Sakura Haruno from the leaf village! All because Sakura couldn't control her strength, the power she had to force from a seal in order to save Tsunade who was too drunk to defend herself!" Everyone looked at each other than towards Tsunade and me. "Sakura was never sent out on a mission and killed like she led us to believe!"

"Sakura..." I turned; Naruto was walking towards me. "...is this true?" He looked hurt. I looked away from his hurt puppy dog eyes and towards Tsunade. Well, the cat was out of the bag now, the only question now was how the fuck did Ino know any of this? I thought only Kakashi knew the truth?

"Yes." I confirmed. Naruto looked from me and then to Tsunade in disbelief. One by one people around me began to get riled up and curse Tsunade's name. I looked around it was me that was banished, not them. They didn't get to have an opinion on this. "Shut the hell up." I yelled at a group of four, who were yelling at Tsunade. "Don't speak down to your superiors."

"What the fuck Sakura!?" Ino yelled. "Why are you defending her!? She kicked you out of the village! How could you-"

"Because it was the right thing to do!" I snapped. "She did it to protect your dumbass. I could not control my power. I was the one who destroyed the training grounds without even looking. She may not have done it in the best way possible, she handled it the worst way possible. But I was a danger to the village, she had to protect you all because that is her job. It was a hard choice but that is what being a leader is all about, making the hard choices to protect the people who follow you."

"Yeah but-"

"But what?" I locked eyes onto the shinobi who was dumb enough to speak up. "You're not the one who was banished, I was. None of you have a right to bitch the only person who does is me and here I am standing in order to defend this village."

"What has happened to you?" Ino breathed.

"I grew up. It is time you did as well." I sighed, "Fucking take her!" I yelled at the black ops, they nodded and quickly scrambled to get Ino up. The same shinobi I just yelled at was still staring at me. "Get away from me." I glared, he jumped back. I turned, smelling a comforting scent. "And where the hell were you?" I asked Kakashi.

"You had it under control." I saw the smile through his mask.

"It isn't my job to have this place under control, it's yours." I found myself bickering.

"Come on." Kakashi wrapped an arm around me, I looked up to him confused. "Let's get your side checked out."

\----

A few stitches on my side came loose. Kakashi bought me dinner, no one came to bug me like I expected so I was able to go to bed peacefully without a headache. The next morning, I was leaning over the island eating a bowl of cereal. I looked over as Naruto slowly came through the hole in my wall.

When was that getting fixed?

"Morning..." Naruto's tone was off, normally he was chirpy but today he was gloomy and a little depressing to look at, he was bringing me down. He walked over and sat at one of the bar stools across from me.

"What's wrong?" I sighed.

"Nothing." Naruto answered looking away from me.

"I am not going to do that thing where I coddle you until you pour out your soul to me. If you want to talk about what's bugging you then spit it out or let it go." I took another bite of my cereal.

"It's just..." Naruto groaned, leaning against the counter. He was taking forever on getting to the freaking point. "I... I had no idea." Naruto breathed out sounding nervous.

"You didn't have an idea about something?" I smirked, "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"I mean it Sakura; I really had no idea Tsunade would ever do something so-"

"Are you still on that?" I sighed, picking up my empty bowl and moving to place it in the sink.

"I-I just found out!" Naruto's screeched, "Of course I am still going to be on it!"

"Why?" I asked.

"What do you mean why!?"

"It didn't happen to you, so why do you care about it?"

"Because...Because Sakura you're my fri-"

"Are you really going to sit there and pretend that we are friends?" I cut him off, I watched the shock and a little bit of hurt blossom along his facial features.

"We are-"

"We are not." I corrected. "We haven't been friends for a very long time."

"Then why did you save my life?!"

"Because it was my job." I said bluntly,

"What?"

"If you would have died on a mission I was on, it would have been the Waterfall Village's fault. I would have had to answer to Tsunade and your villages board. I would have had a mountain of paperwork to do and then my village would have to pay yours for the loss of a shinobi."

"But..." Naruto stared at me, searching my face for the girl he once knew.

"Your death would not have been worth the headache I would have gotten. Putting myself between you and that blade was the easiest option."

"I don't believe that!" Naruto stood up from his chair, bracing himself for an argument.

"What you believe in and don't believe I could care nothing about." I said, turning to look at him. "Stop trying to search for her."

"Huh? Search for-"

"The girl you knew, before she was kicked out of this village." I clarified for him. "That Sakura doesn't exist anymore; she died a long time ago."

"Sakura, I know you are-" I turned from the sink, spinning around as I moved out of the kitchen I walked towards Naruto. As I took steps towards him, he took steps backwards until he was against the wall. I placed my hands on both sides of his head. I watched his cheeks blush the shade of my hair color.

"Stop trying to find pieces of her inside me because you're going to end up empty handed and then you're going to look at me expecting me to comfort you and then you're going to be twice as disappointed because I am not the comforting type." I lowered my arms as I turned away running my hands through my hair.

"Whe-Where are you going?!" Naruto shouted, scattered to his feet. I opened my front door, I didn't turn back to gaze at Naruto as I closed it behind me leaving Naruto inside the apartment I was using while I waited here inside the leaf village for the Reapers to make their appearance.

\----

Another week inside the leaf village took its damn time to drag on by. My days were filled with training the leaf shinobi and getting them into shape. It was honestly one of the biggest pains in my ass right now. Even with Tsunade telling them to get their ass to training most shinobi skipped their sessions or didn't give it their all.

This was not my village: I only did this to pass the time, so I didn't go after the shinobi, drag them back to the training grounds and ran their ass until they passed out from exhaustion. It wasn't my job to do so, if they wanted to slack off and not take my training seriously then so be it.

Team seven was sent out on a mission few days ago, so the deal I had with Naruto to join me during training was off. I didn't mind it though; it was nice to not have to deal with team seven following me around like lost puppies in need of a good kick in the ass. Sadly, though Tsunade took Naruto's place and consistently bugged and followed me around the leaf village.

She was standing behind me, talking nonstop about a subject I had not been following. I watched a group of thirty shinobi in front of me, they practice their aim. I realized just how much the quality of training has gone down in the leaf village since I was banished, maybe it was a good thing I was kicked out because if I had remained here I would be just as terrible as these ninja here in front of me and watching them was just embarrassing.

Hot tingles sparked along my spine, pulling me from my dull thoughts and out of reach of Tsunade's rambling words. I opened my eyes and no longer could see the training grounds, instead I saw a lush forest. I saw a blur of orange laying on the ground beside me as silver hair which defied the laws of gravity caught my eye on the right of me. In front were a fun-loving group of masked men, who laughed and taunted team seven.

Reapers.

I closed my eyes, pulling myself back into my body inside the leaf village. Those hot tingles began to multiple and devour my body. My eyes burned as I felt the seal, I had placed on team seven years ago become active.

"Sakura!?" Tsunade became alarmed as I borrowed the nearby air, wrapping it around myself for I needed it to transport to team seven's location.

I was dropped from the sky; I opened my eyes feeling my feet hit the ground. The lush forest I had seen was now all around me. Warm air blew across my face and through my hair, dancing with the strands as I tilted my head seeing the eight people stand in front of me. I reached behind me, I ignored Sasuke who sounded so confused seeing my presence. I grabbed my sword and brought it out in front of me.

"Reaper?" I saw three members of Reapers looked to each other; their faces may be masked but I could see the panic in their eyes. God, I loved the fact I held so much fear in my name.

"Mind if I cut in?" I smirked,

"Oh, I don't mind." One man stepped from his group of friends. He was well fit and taller than me by a foot. "I have been waiting for the day I get to meet you in person Reaper."

"Oh." I tilted my head. "Is that so?"

"I dream about tearing you from limb from limb!" The masked Reaper laughed; I rolled my eyes. I turned from him and glanced back at team seven, Kakashi and Sasuke were still standing as Naruto laid on the ground. He had a few scratches, and I could see bruises already beginning to form, but he would live.

"I feel flattered-" I called out to the group in front of me, looking away from team seven. "-that you dream about me." I smirked, "Do I keep you up at night?"

"Today is the day Reaper! The day you die by my hand!"

"Ah." I scoffed. "That's what they all say, before they die." I walked forward, watching the eight shinobi running towards me.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out.

"Stay back!" I yelled over my shoulder.

"But-" Sasuke started. Three men jumped into my personal space. I jumped out of the way of their blades; I flung my right elbow up hitting one in the nose breaking it.

Taking the second Reaper's arm which held his blade I pushed him left, forcing him to run his sword into his friends' stomach. I used his shock to bring my sword up and cut into his torso. Before the second Reaper fell, I kicked up his sword, using it to cut down the Reaper who's nose I had broken.

"I don't need your help!" I yelled out to Sasuke. "Just stay the fuck back!"

"I see the rumors about you are true." I turned to the Reaper who had fun dreams about me. He watched me take down three of his friends in the time it took me to order team seven to stay back. I flung my sword a little, blood dripped off the shiny metal reflecting the sun.

"Rumors?" I looked over to the Reapers. "I don't have rumors."

"Hate to break it to you doll, but you do."

"No." I laughed, "Rumors would mean people were able to escape."

"What does that mean?" One of the four men behind little miss dreamer here muttered.

"I'll tell you what it means." I answered, moving to where they stood. "It means I leave no survivors. What you hear about me are not rumors, they are stories from the people I saved."

"Ugh!" The front Reaper gagged. "I am getting nauseous from how good you are."

"I can help you with that." I smirked, killing the four Reapers who tried to run around their leader friend and take my life for their own trophy case.

"How might you do that doll?" The last remaining Reaper was a charmer.

"By removing it of course."

The last remaining Reaper's eyes widened, I think it just hit him that his friends were all now dead and it was just him left. His internal clock was ticking out of time. He bolted, I will be honest I wasn't expecting him to run around me and rush towards team seven.

With how much he chatted I expected him to exaggerate his skills and try to hold his own against me. Sadly, he left himself wide open for me to pull a kunai out and fling it into his back. He fell to the earth with a cry of pain. I walked over to him as he struggles to roll over.

He looked over his shoulder, tears in his eyes.

"Don't call me doll." I shook my head, lifting my leg and stepping onto the kunai forcing it deeper into his body. He cried out in agony, the deeper the kunai went the louder he got.

After thirty seconds he went still, his voice stopped filling the air with noise and his eyes glasses over, he was a loud dyer. I looked around the area, scanning to see if there were any more Reapers too afraid to come out and play with me.

"Sakura?" I looked over my shoulder, Naruto was awake and looking at me very confused.

"Hey." I said turning to face them as team seven moved closer to me.

"What!?" Naruto looked around at all the bodies, then to me. "How...when...we are far from the leaf village! How the hell are you here right now?!"

"Your welcome, for saving your life again." I turned from team seven and went to collect my kunai. I heard Naruto gag; he was watching me pull the kunai from the dead Reapers back.

I almost laughed at his squeamish self. Kakashi went to aid Naruto with his injury. The worst he had was a deep cut on his arm, but from what I could see with distance he was not going to need stitches.

"She's there!?" Tsunade voice floated over to me, sending annoyed chills up my arms from her voice. I glanced over, Sasuke was on the phone with her. I rolled my eyes. "Put her on the phone!" Tsunade was placed on speaker. "Sakura!"

"Hm." I hummed.

"Are you kidding me!?" Tsunade screamed through the line. "That is all you're going to say!?"

"What do you want me to say?" I wondered, having collect my two kunai's I moved closer to team seven.

"Oh, I don't know-!" Tsunade sarcastically said, "-how about explaining to me what the fuck happened!? You vanished out of no one without saying anything to me! Then I find out your now with team seven!?" I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling, looking back out at the large field that broke the lush forest apart. The Reapers were getting closer to the leaf village. "Sakura!"

"I can hear you." I snapped out of my head. "I am sure the whole damn forest can."

"What happened!?"

"Your team is alive." I answered. "Why can't you just be happy with that?"

"Because you knew exactly where to go! You knew they were in trouble! I want to know how!"

"Why?" I asked.

"What do you mean why!?"

"Let me rephrase that, why the hell do I need to explain myself to you?"

"What!?" I could practically feel Tsunade trying to reach through the phone and grab my neck. I felt myself smirk, I enjoyed getting her rallied up.

"Tsunade-" Kakashi stepped in, taking the phone from Sasuke. "-since Naruto is injured-" I looked up from putting away my kunai and towards Kakashi. Naruto wasn't that 'injured', he would be fine. "-can we request Sakura travel with us on the rest of this mission?"

"Excuse me?" I stepped in, moving into their group. We now formed a circle as we stood around. "No." I answered for Tsunade. "No, you cannot request me joining you on your mission."

"Well Sakura-" Tsunade sounded like a sophomania. "-your mission to the whirlpool failed, and you were unable to collect the debt they owed us, in fact we had to pay them in order to get you to the leaf village since you were hurt. So technically that mission does not count, and you still owe the Leaf Village a mission since we paid the Waterfall Village already."

"I was only injured because I had to save your fucking-"

"Does not matter, I already talked to Kaguya and she agreed. So, you can assist team seven with their mission and then return with them."

"You have a threat against your village, I shouldn't be out of the-"

"We will be fine." Tsunade waved me off. "I have a meeting to get to, so stay safe Team Seven!" She hung up the line as I felt my eye twitch as I glared at Kakashi's head. He turned and smiled at me through his mask, closing his annoying eye as he did so.

"Looks like we will be spending more time together." Kakashi said, still smiling.

"I hate you." I glared at him.

"Can we set up camp for the night?" Naruto sighed, rubbing his shoulder. "I feel exhausted and starving!"

"I don't see why not." Kakashi answered, his hands in his pockets.

Team seven and I set up camp inside a small clearing a few miles away from where they were ambushed. I was sitting on Kakashi's sleeping bag and drinking from his water bottle since I had no supplies with me. I was not expecting to be sent out on a mission with team seven after saving them.

"How is your side?" Kakashi questioned, sitting next to me.

"Fine." My voice was stale, I was still mad Kakashi had me added to this mission. Kakashi chuckled annoying me further.

"I am sorry, maybe I should have asked you first if you wanted to join us before bringing it up to Tsunade. I just assumed you were bored sitting around the village all day."

"It doesn't matter if I am bored or not." I turned to look at his masked face. "Your village has been threatened, which is why I am here. I should be inside the village, not sitting here miles from it."

"I see." Kakashi gazed into the fire. "Then I am sorry." Kakashi did that annoying thing where he smiled with his eye again.

"It isn't me you're going to have to apologize too if your village gets hit and I am not there to defend it." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I am sure they will be fine." Sasuke butted in. "They can hold their own."

"Yeah..." I trailed off. "...because their best team has done so well against the Reapers they have gone up against." I took another sip of water and handed back over to Kakashi. I stretched my arms out in front of me, after a full day of training and then having to come to team sevens defense, I was feeling a little more than tired. I glanced around our camp, where the hell was, I going to sleep? "Well I have been up since dawn, so I am not taking first watch."

"I can." Kakashi volunteered. "You can sleep-" Kakashi's voice cut off as I leaned against him, using him as a pillow since I had nothing with me. I closed my eyes feeling tired as I dozed off quickly.

Night was in full bloom when I opened my eyes again. The only source of light was the moon and low fire that crackled offering warmth. Sasuke was asleep, Naruto was quietly eating undoubtedly his fifth cup of ramen and Kakashi was still beside me reading his book.

My head was on his shoulder, and I leaned against him for support. I slowly moved, pulling myself up. I felt Kakashi's arm wrap around me quickly, I felt my body go stiff with the feeling of his arm around me, pulling me into his embrace. He and I locked eyes, after a second, he smiled letting me go.

"I thought you were falling." He smiled under his mask, turning back to his book.

"Are you hungry Sakura?" Naruto pulled my attention onto his.

"Um..." My sleeping brain tried to function, but it refused not wanting to be bothered.

"Here." Naruto held out an unused cup of ramen in front of me, I slowly accepted it from him.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Naruto flashed his familiar goofy grin. "Here." He offered some hot water for me to use. After a few still minutes Naruto spoke back up, "Did you sleep ok?" I glanced over at Kakashi, who was unmoving looking at his book.

"Yeah." I answered.

"I am sorry." Naruto sighed, taking another large bite of his food.

"You're sorry?"

"You got dragged on this mission with us, and your so unprepared..."

"It's fine." I laughed at his face.

"How is it?"

"All I need is this-" I pointed to my sword which was beside me. "-and I am good."

"Really?" Naruto had stars in his eyes.

"Yes." I nodded my head; Naruto and I ate in silence.

"Hey Sasuke." Naruto said seeing him sit up.

"Hey." He grunted out. He did not like sleeping outside. Sasuke drank his water and ate a protein bar.

"So..." Naruto trailed off looking around all the three of us who sat around the small campfire. "Er...Sakura..." I looked up at the sound of my name, I could see the gears in Naruto's head turning as he tried to think of something for us all talk about. "How are your parents?" He smiled, "They left the village after you...I mean you didn't leave since you were banished! I mean...u-um...um."

"Smooth." Sasuke commented.

"They died." I answered, looking away from Naruto and back into the flames. Silence fell around the us like a pile of freaking rocks. It was awkward, I could feel the emotion pouring off Naruto.

"I-I-I am so sorry!" Naruto blurted, "I had no idea-"

"I know." I said, looking up at him. "It's fine-"

"How did they die!?" Naruto cut me off, Sasuke reached over and punched him.

"What kind of question is that!?" Sasuke snapped.

"It is a question! There are not different kinds of questions Sasuke!"

"It is a rude question!" Sasuke lectured.

I should have stayed asleep...

"Sakura." Kakashi's voice caught me. "I am sorry..." I nodded accepting his condolences for my parent's death.

"Ah!" Naruto's voice brought caused me to look up, he and Sasuke were wrestling. I shook my head at the childish behavior.

"Knock it off you two." Kakashi called out. "Your being too loud."

"Sakura...if you don't want to talk about it, I will respect that-" Naruto glared at Sasuke "-but if you do, I would be happy to listen."

"There isn't anything to talk about." I shrugged.

"Um..." Naruto looked at Sasuke and then Kakashi. "I mean...you were close to your parents, right?" I shrugged again. "So, it had to have been hard when they..." Naruto was trying to choose his words carefully. This was not a conversation I wanted to have, but Naruto was not going to let this one go.

"When they left the Leaf Village, they did not follow me to the Waterfall Village." I might as well get this out of the way and be done with this topic. "They moved to the Grass Village; I was busy with being Commander, so I didn't have much free time. One night, the Reapers attacked the Grass Village, and my parents were among the casualties." I explained, Naruto's eyes were large and full of tears.

"I am so sorry-" Naruto had his arms extended, and he was about to move.

"Don't touch me." I glared.

"Right." Naruto quickly sat back down.

"Is that why you have been going after the Reapers?" Sasuke wondered.

"Hm, part of it. I had been tracking the Reapers long before they attacked the Grass Village."

"Part?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I shouldn't need some heart wrenching reason in order to go after a group of mercenaries who kill for fun." I pulled my knee up and rested my arm on it, with my head in the palm of my hand.


	6. Chapter 6

"The land of Rivers?" I asked, turning to look at Kakashi who was rolling up his sleeping bag. We had been traveling for three boring uninteresting days. We haven't even been ambushed once to shake things up, Kakashi glanced my way.

"Yes." He answered. "That is our mission, to escort one of their princesses to a peace treaty signing. Every year the two villages come together to renew the treaty." I nodded, already knowing this information but I decided to not say anything.

The land of rivers was a very rich and prosperous land. They were one of the very few villages to except cars into their everyday lives. Looking around at the speeding vehicles and buzzing lights got overwhelming quickly if you were not use to it.

We were on a train heading towards castle where the royal family lived. The ride and walk were quite as team seven took in the large busy village. We were pushed through the castle and put in a large throne room.

"Welcome Leaf Village shinobi!" A man greeted, he had thick blond hair and rich green eyes. He was the king of the Land of Rivers, "Sakura?" His voice was deep and full of confidence. Team seven turned their heads and looked at me questionably.

"Hey William." I waved, walking past team seven. Naruto's mouth was hanging wide open. King William stood from his throne and met me halfway, he wrapped his strong arms around me pulling me into a tight hug.

"It is so good to see you!" He smiled, pulling away.

"It's good to see you too." I nodded,

"I wasn't aware you would be coming here, is everything ok with the-"

"The Waterfall Village is fine." I reassured him. "I am here assisting the Leaf Village."

"Oh?" William looked past me and to the three men behind me. He looked to me cautiously. "Blink three times if you're in danger." He whispered causing me to laugh.

"Everything is alright William."

"Hm." King William did not look convinced. I was close with him and his wife, the waterfall village was very close to the river village. "Well then...does that mean you are going to be escorting with Team Seven?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Well fantastic!" William clapped his hands.

"Who are we escorting?" I wondered, team seven didn't even know which princess would be coming this year to the treaty signing. The king and queen had a total of four children, two boys and two girls. They also had their niece who lived with them, William gave me a nervous smile. I looked at him for a long second.

"Oh no." I said shaking my head. "I'm out. Team Seven will continue this mission on their own-"

"She must!" William caught my hand before walking to far away.

"She must not!" I argued. Team seven stood behind me, their mouths hanging open not knowing what to do.

"Cedany has to start the progress of being a princess."

"Cedany is not-" I was about to counter,

"Sakura!?" I heard the queens voice, I looked over to my right to see her running towards William and myself.

"I have missed you so much!" She said hugging me tightly.

"Nice to see you to Arabella." I choked out as she crushed my rib cage and my injured side. Queen Arabella giggled as she pulled away blushing. "I am sorry, it's just been so long since you have been here!"

"Yeah, I know...I am sorry."

"Don't be!" She laughed, "I understand your busy." Queen Arabella was a sweet woman as she was beautiful. "Come, you must be tired from traveling-" I walked in between Arabella and William, we were walking to their royal gardens to lunch. I glanced behind me, team seven followed us and they all looked extremely confused.

We all sat around a large table with different food littering it. Arabella sat beside me; she couldn't stop smiling as she talked about everything she has been doing in the past year.

"Please-" Arabella said towards team seven who looked out of place and stiff. "-help yourselves." 

"Thank you..." Naruto said looking towards Kakashi for advice on what to do. Kakashi nodded, it was rude to turn down food from a queen.

"So, Sakura!" Arabella leaned on her hand looking at me, "What have you been doing all this time!?"

"Uh..." I loved Arabella as a mother, I sheltered her from a lot of what I did. "Just...keeping the Waterfall Village out of trouble."

"I hear good things." Arabella said sipping her cup. "You are doing a very good job."

"Thanks." I smiled at her, she turned to team seven.

"So, when did you begin working with the Leaf Village again?" She wondered,

"Not that long." I answered, leaning back in my seat. My side was burning,

"I see." Arabella wasn't paying attention to me; she was scoping out team seven. I never hid the fact I didn't like the leaf village and Arabella and William knew the truth about what they had done to me. "Well, it is going to be dark soon. You all should rest here for the night and get a fresh start in the morning!"

"Arabella..." I started but she cut me off with a bright smile.

"I know, I know!" She laughed holding her hands up, "I know how you don't like wasting time but Cedany is not even ready to go yet, we are having some...issues with her. Can you please just spend the night? Please, for me?" I sighed; how could I say no to that?

"We would love to..." Knowing Arabella I would not win this fight.

"Wonderful! How about you all go rest up?" Arabella asked team seven.

"Thank you." Kakashi bowed.

"Donte will you please escort the leaf shinobi to their room, please?"

"Of course, your majesty." A butler bowed, "Right this way-" Donte motioned, Kakashi looked back, seeing I was not following them. I remained in my seat as Arabella continued to talk, telling me her stories.

\----

Arabella, William and I sat at the large dinner table in the castle's dining room.

"Thank you, Arabella." I said again, she had supplied me the things I did not have since I was ripped out of the leaf village and was not expecting to be sent on a mission.

"You do not need to thank me!" Arabella said again laughing. "It was the least I could do."

"It-" I stopped talking as the large doors opened, team seven was pushed through by a servant who closed the doors almost taking Naruto's foot clean off.

"Team Seven!" William stood, "Please, join us." I watched Naruto and Sasuke move to sit across from me, Kakashi took a seat beside me.

"Thank you for inviting us." Kakashi said looking at William.

"It is my pleasure; Sakura has been telling us all about you three."

"She has?" Naruto nervously laughed, looking from me and then to the king.

"All good things." William grinned, he loved to make people nervous. "I have to be honest; I feel extremely relieved to know you are the team escorting Cedany."

I rolled my eyes at her name, Cedany was a royal pain in the ass. Cedany was William's niece, and she lives here with them. Her parents were killed when the river village was attacked by a nearby town that is, thanks to me no longer standing.

Cedany was arrogant and entitled, we do not get along.

Dinner was brought out on silver platters. Stake, mash potatoes, green beans and a bread roll was for dinner. There was low conversation, such as William questioning team seven on trivial things. Why did they want to become a shinobi? How long have they been training? This conversation was making my brain numb.

"Sakura, where are the others at?" Arabella asked me, taking a bite of her stake.

"Huh?" I asked since I had been spacing out.

"Where are Piper and the others?" Arabella repeated herself, my heart squeezed.

"I..." I trailed off, "...I thought Carver was here not long ago?" Carver, he was one of the members of my former black ops team from the waterfall village.

"Oh, he was!" Arabella smiled, "It was so nice having him here!"

"I see..." That fucking wuss.

"Sakura?" William made me look up with a sigh on my lips.

"I'm sorry Arabella, but Piper and the others...they died." I drew the words out, trying to be considerate of Arabella feelings.

"Oh." Arabella looked to her plate. "When did this happen?"

"A while ago...I assumed Carver told you."

"He did not." Arabella's voice broke. She stood to her feet as she refused to look at me. "Please, excuse me."

"Arabella!" I called,

"It's ok Sakura." William stood. "I will go talk to her."

"I should-"

"Please." William said, I nodded understanding. William turned and ran after Arabella. Team Seven looked around not knowing what to say.

"Are you ok?" Kakashi asked me, placing his hand over mine.

"Yeah." I answered but didn't look at him.

"Are you ready to go to your room Miss Haruno?" A servant asked, her hands placed in front of her waiting for an answer.

"Yes." I rose to my feet, I nodded to team seven who quickly got up as well. We were led through four hallways and around one corner before the servant stopped and opened a door for us. She bowed,

"If you need anything please let me know."

"Thank you." I excused her and walked through the room. Team seven's bags and mine were there waiting for us.

The bedroom was beautiful, it looked over the gardens. The room had two large beds, tile floor and large glass windows. I reached down, trying to mind my sore side and picked up my bag. Without any words I walked into the bathroom which was attached to the bedroom.

I took a hot shower, I allowed the water to flow down my tired body for a long time, when I stepped out the bathroom was fogged up. I placed shorts and a tank top on the Arabella have lent me. On the bed closest to the door I saw Sasuke was asleep. Naruto was sitting beside Sasuke watching the TV the hung on the wall. Kakashi sat on the remaining bed, reading his little book ignoring everything else.

After an hour it was midnight, I laid on the bed I shared with Kakashi watching what Naruto had put on. Even though I had a long day of walking, full stomach and clean clothes I could not sleep. 

I felt terrible for something I had no control over, I hated this feeling of guilt which unsettled my stomach. There was a knock on the door, Kakashi lifted his head and gazed towards the door. He closed his book and got up to answer it.

"Please excuse me." A different servant than from earlier bowed her head. "But Miss Haruno has been requested." I sat up, leaning on my elbow.

"Requested?" I asked.

"By Queen Arabella." The servant explained further. I pulled the blankets off my legs and walked to the door.

"Sakura?" Kakashi called my name, I turned my head.

"I'll be fine." I told him, following the servant down the hall and around the corner. Sitting on the patio in the royal gardens was William and Arabella, they both gazed out into the beautiful night. 

"Everything ok?" I asked joining them, Arabella turned to face me. Arabella's eyes were red and a little puffy.

"Yes." She smiled, standing up and walking over to hug me.

"Then why are you up so late?" I lightly laughed.

"I could not sleep." Arabella explained, taking my hand and leading me to the bench her and William were sitting on. "I am so sorry for how I behaved at dinner."

"What?" I chuckled. "That was nothing."

"I should not have walked away like I did."

"Arabella-"

"No Sakura, I was wrong to do so. I am sorry."

"I forgive you?"

"Thank you." Arabella grinned. "William and I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Ok?"

"Who is left?" Arabella asked.

"Arabella...."

"Please."

"Carver, Raiden and I." I answered, telling her the three-remaining people of our nine manned team.

"I am so sorry." Arabella breathed, tears forming in her eyes.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I told her, "We all know the risks that comes with our job."

"And that is what I want to talk to you about." Arabella sniffed.

"Huh?"

"William and I would like you to stay here."

"Has there been any more threats-?"

"No!" Arabella laughed. "Under your protection we have been very safe."

"What Arabella is trying to say Sakura, is we want you to leave the Waterfall Village and live here with us."

"Wh-What?" I laughed.

"Yes." William nodded. "We would put you in charge of our army and-"

"I can't accept this..."

"We love you Sakura..." Arabella started, "We look at you as our own daughter, and knowing that you are out there in all that danger kills us."

"Arabella...thank you, really I am truly honored, but I can't accept."

"You don't love us-"

"Of course, I do, you two are the few people I can stand." I joked, causing them to laugh. "But I am out there in that danger in order to keep you safe." I explained,

"We knew it was a long shot, but we just had to try...again." William smiled.

"You know there is always a home here for you." Arabella said for the hundredth time, "No questions asked, you can come here anytime."

"I know...thank you both." I hugged them.

"We then." Arabella wiped her eyes. "You better get some rest."

"Oh, I am going to need a week's worth of rest since I am escorting Cedany." After that I parted way with the king and queen of the river village. I made my way back to the room I was staying in with team seven. Kakashi was still awake, watching TV with his arm behind his head for support.

"Everything ok?" Kakashi asked seeing me closing the door. I nodded climbing into bed and covering myself up. Kakashi fell silent which gave me the chance to fall asleep.

Relaxed, it was the first feeling I recognized as I surfaced awake. I couldn't look around the room since it was so dark. The TV was off, and the curtains were closed. I moved my head and placed it back down on my pillow, after a couple moments I opened my eyes again, my pillow had a heartbeat.

My head was on Kakashi's chest, our legs were entangled, and his hand was placed over mine. Kakashi felt warm as I felt his chest slowly rise, the sound of his heartbeat began to lull me back to sleep. I woke up hours later feeling my body was on its side, the blanket was draped over my shoulders as I faced away from everyone inside the room.

"Should we wake her?" I could hear Sasuke talking.

"I am not going to be the one to do it, she might break my arm." Naruto answered Sasuke, I felt myself groan...fucking team seven...I sat up, the blanket falling off my torso. "G-Good morning Sakura!" Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. I groaned, feeling my side ache as I looked up, I locked eyes with Kakashi who came out of the bathroom looking refreshed with his damp hair.

"Good morning Sakura." Kakashi waved, setting his bag down in front of the bed. I wondered if waking up laying with Kakashi was just a dream.

"Morning." I said getting up.

"How did you sleep?" Naruto asked after I came out of the bathroom, I got gotten dressed and ready to kick start this mission back on track.

"Fine." I answered, picking up my bag and glanced at the clock. "We should get a move on." I said walking past them. Arabella and William fed us breakfast as a few servants were scrambling trying to get Cedany out of bed and ready for the road.

"Are you sure we have to take her?" I muttered already feeling annoyed.

"Yes." William chuckled, we all stood at the front door waiting.

"Are you sure?" I asked again, causing William to laugh. I looked behind me, hearing her before I could see her. Cedany was yelling, unhappy to be awake and expected to be the one to sign the treaty. I smirked seeing team seven's first reactions of princess Cedany.

At first glance, Cedany was a pretty girl. She held long blonde hair and pale blue eyes, but then she opened her mouth and all that goes down the drain.

"Sakura-" William smiled, "-how about you take one of the royal cars?"

"Alright." I knew he was only suggesting this because Cedany would never get in a train, she believed they were for the 'lower class'. Cedany continued to fight with the king and queen as I watched servants load five bags in the back of a large black van.

"You can try taking the car as far as you can. The roads outside our territory have not been converted for cars, so it may be bumpy." William explained to me. I nodded,

"We will go as far as we can, I am sure that will make Cedany happy."

"So, who is going to drive?" Naruto wondered watching all the servants quickly walk away. The castle must be ecstatic to get some time away from Cedany.

"I am." I answered, holding the keys in my hand.

"You can drive?!" Naruto buzzed around me asking hundreds of questions.

"Yes." Was all I said getting in the driver's side after hugging and saying goodbye to William and Arabella, I waited for the others to climb in.

"When did you learn to drive?" Naruto asked getting in the backseat, Cedany was in between Sasuke and Naruto.

"I don't know." I muttered, I looked in the rearview mirror. Cedany glared at me causing me to smirk, she really did not like me. I loved it. I put the car in drive and sped off!

"You are going pretty fast." Sasuke muttered after ten minutes of driving. I may have a touch of road rage.

"Sakura?" I looked in the rearview mirror at Naruto's face.

"What?"

"You are being quiet." He said looking at me worried.

"I am driving."

"So?"

"You have to focus when you are driving." I explained. The sky began to twist into a dark blue color. Cedany was complaining again that she had to pee and was hungry. All the food the king and queen supplied us with was light enough to carry so eating it up now was not something I wanted to do. We were not in River territory anymore, so the roads were beginning to get bumpy.

I personally did not like driving around if we were outside the river village. I felt to exposed, but I knew where we were, and I knew that there was a small village near us. I glanced back and muffled my laugh. Cedany was driving Naruto insane, he looked like he was about to explode.

"We are almost there." I called to her, hoping that would shut her up.

"Where?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his book.

"There is a town nearby we can stop and eat at." I glanced back at Cedany, who was on her phone. "It will shut her up." I saw Kakashi smile through his mask.

I felt my stomach flip at that thought I put that smile on his lips. I turned back to the road, what the hell was that? I shook my head, pushing the feeling in the back of my head. Soon enough, I pulled us into town and stopped at a small diner that looked somewhat clean enough to eat at.

"Ew." Cedany said looking around, her face scrunched up. "Where are we?"

"You wanted food, here you go." Sasuke said as we moved to the building.

"Hello!" A host with short hair which was braided smiled as we walked in. "Y'all can grab a seat wherever you like!" The girl smiled as she began gathering menus.

I nodded and headed towards the back of the diner. I sat in a large booth, I watched as Kakashi slid in beside me. Naruto sat on the other side; I was happy I didn't have to be closer to Cedany than I had to be. I leaned against the booth and waited for the server. Cedany was flirting with Sasuke who looked bored when we were interrupted by a girl, a little younger than me. She wore a blue shirt with the diners' name written on it.

"Hello, my name is Avon. I will be your waitress tonight." She smiled, she looked up and her face turn bright red. "How-How many I-I help you?" She said glancing at Naruto to Kakashi to Sasuke. 

"I will take a coke please." Naruto said looking at the girl from his menu.

"Sprite." Sasuke said flatly, looking annoyed by how Cedany was to him.

"Coffee please." Kakashi answered. Avon nodded and started to walk away. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched the show, Cedany did not take being overlooked lightly.

"Hey!" She yelled at the server. Avon turned around with goofy smile on her face, until she saw there were two women glaring at her. I didn't care enough to wipe off the annoyed expression on my face. She came back, her face redder than before.

"I-I am so sorry!" She stuttered. "I do not know what came over me." Avon breathed explaining how it had been a busy day and she was tired. I couldn't care any less about something than I did right now.

"I will take a sweet tea." I called out, cutting Avon off.

"Diet coke." Cedany spat, tossing her menu down and crossing her arms over chest and looking away, Avon nodded and ran away.

"Horrible service." Cedany muttered looking at her phone, I was looking at mine texting Dawn.

"Sakura?" I looked up,

"Huh?"

"I asked why you are glaring at your phone?" Naruto repeated.

"It is nothing." I answered, thankfully Avon came with our drinks on a tray.

"Thanks." I muttered taking my sweet tea from her.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked, pulling out a small paper pad and pen.

"Um, yeah?" Naruto asked looking around, everyone nodded. "Ok, I will have a patty melt, the three-alarm burger with extra cheese, the chicken and fried steak with mash potatoes with beef gravy, a side of coleslaw and an order of onion rings as an appetizer. Please...with a side of ranch, please." Naruto said looking up and smiling up at Avon, whose mouth was hanging open. Even I was surprised by how much Naruto ordered.

"I will have ribeye steak with a baked potato and a side salad with French." Kakashi said handing her his menu.

"Chicken swiss burger with fries." Sasuke stated and handed her his menu.

"Salad. No dressing." Cedany said sliding her menu away from her.

"Just the cheeseburger and fries." I said handing her my menu. She nodded and said it would be right out which I scoffed out. Naruto's order alone will take an hour, Naruto's beloved onion rings appeared. Naruto offered some around to us, but no one took any. He then shoved as many as he could in his mouth at once. I watched him for a moment, I felt the small smile on my face seeing how in heaven he appeared right now.

After about a half hour the food finally made its way out. Four female servers came out holding trays, all giggling. They had their eyes glued to the men at the table. I took my plate when it was handed to me. It took a while for the servers to hand out the food, they were moving slow, giggling and flirting with the guys.

"This is disgusting." Cedany muttered pushing her plate away.

"It is lettuce." I said. "How can it be gross?"

"It just is." She said, "I am not eating it, this place is terrible."

"Ok well that may be, but we are not stopping again so figure out what you want to eat or suck it up." I said looking at her. She just crossed her arms over her chest again. I sighed and drank the rest of my tea. Believe it or not we were waiting on Sasuke, Naruto was the first to finish his food. I was looking at the map.

"I thought you knew the route?" Naruto asked drinking more soda and looking over my shoulder.

"I do on foot, but in order to take the car we are going to have to go a different way."

"I see." Naruto muttered,

"We may not be able to drive the whole way."

"Wait, what?" Cedany spoke up, looking up from her phone.

"What about that sentence do you not understand?" I asked looking at her.

"I am not walking." She stated, glaring at me. "If you think you are ditching the car and making me walk all the way to that stupid village you have taken one to many hits to the head." She glared; I opened my mouth when Sasuke and Naruto put their two-sense in.

"Why would we get rid of the car? It is so nice not having to walk everywhere we go. That would be dumb, we should go the route that will allow the car."

"The dope is right; you are stupid if you get rid of the car." Sasuke added.

"Even your team thinks you're a moron." Cedany said with a sneer on her lips. I was about to stand and make how I treated Ino at the village picnic look like five-star treatment when Kakashi spoke,

"Sakura." Kakashi said my name but I couldn't look at him, why? "It does seem a bit foolish to leave the car behind, no one is following us. We will get to the Mist Village faster." I opened my mouth to answer but Naruto once again, stepped in.

"We should vote on it!" Naruto smiled, "All in favor of keeping the car?" Of course, everyone raised their hands up. Naruto smiled at me. "There, problem solved."

"What gives you the right to even make that type of call, you are not a part of this team. You have been pretty vocal about that." I ignored Sasuke. "Your assisting us, not leading this mission."

"Ok, I will be in the car." I nodded. I turned on my heel and walked out of the building.

Team seven was right, I was assisting them. So now I am doing to sit back and not do a damn thing. This mission was not my problem, and neither was Cedany. After seven minutes team seven walked out and piled into the car with Cedany. I put the car in drive and turned the headlights on. Three hours had spun past us, it was close to one in the morning.

"You are getting tired." Kakashi commented.

"I am fine."

"Sakura..."

"I said I am fine." I repeated looking at Kakashi with a stone face.

"I am tired!" Cedany yelled breaking the silence, Naruto jumped up at the sudden loud noise. "I am not sleeping in this thing!" I groaned when Naruto and Sasuke agreed to yet again stop. They weren't even doing anything; I was the one driving the fucking car. But I was assisting, so I only assist. They put to a 'vote'.

Fucking team seven.

After a half hour, I found a hotel to pull into. Naruto got a two-bedroom hotel room. I was glaring at him now. Cedany had declared the farthest bed from the door as her own.

"Sakura." Kakashi said, "You are driving you need to get some rest." I nodded and crawled into bed, not caring I was still in my gear I plopped my head on a pillow while the three guys were figuring out who was taking the floor as their bed tonight.

Naruto lost, since he got this room. Kakashi and Sasuke got on both sides of me. Wait a moment. Sasuke was not my ideal sleeping arrangement, and I still don't know if that was a dream with Kakashi. But if I move that would raise questions, questions I really did not want to try and answer to team seven or to myself.

I was on my side facing Kakashi, but there was a large gap between us. I looked down to see an arm wrapped around me. I looked behind me to see Sasuke, he was holding me against his body. Oh, hell no I picked up his arm and slowly slid out from under his grasp. I climbed out of bed stepping on Naruto, I fell with a thud.

"Ow, Sakura!" Naruto whined. I looked at him, he was laying in his orange sleeping bag.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"Why are you up?" He asked as I sat myself up. "Shouldn't you be snuggling with Sasuke?" Naruto mocked, so he saw that. Well I guess he would since he is the one who had to be awake and on watch.

"That is why I am awake." I muttered.

"Wait, what?" He asked I gave him a dirty look, Naruto giggled. "You mean, you didn't-" He cut himself off laughing harder, "-and he did-" I rolled my eyes then looked back towards the bed, an evil smirk rolled across my face.

"You should get some rest." I said looking at him with a smile.

"What? But I am the one who-"

"Naruto." I cut him off. "Get in bed." He nodded quickly and crawled onto the bed, I rolled my eyes at how loud he was being and how long it took him to get the covers free from Sasuke. It was six in the morning; I grabbed my bag and pulled some supplies out of it. I walked into the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth.

"What the fuck!?" Voices screamed, I snapped up stopping myself from brushing my teeth, quickly looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror before running out into the open.

"N-Naruto?!" Sasuke yelled sounding confused. Kakashi was sitting up with Naruto on top of him, pointing at Sasuke and holding his ass.

"What the hell Sasuke!?" Naruto yelled waking Cedany, "You were spooning me, and you grabbed my ass!" Naruto accused; I could not help but laugh at the play unfolding in front of me. "What the hell Sasuke?! Why were you squeezing my ass!?"

"I-I thought you were-" Sasuke cut himself off and stood up. Kakashi sat up and looked over at me, then back to Sasuke, he put two and two together.

"Sakura!?" Naruto yelled turning to me, looking like he had been assaulted. I shrugged my shoulder and went back to brushing my teeth. For breakfast I had a protein bar and a bottle of water, it was my main diet. Naruto was looking at my version of breakfast and then looking back at me.

"What?" Naruto whined. "These are gross!" I rolled my eyes when Sasuke agreed.

"If they are good enough for an entire army, I am sure they are good enough for you." I said looking around at the group. It took forty-five minutes to drag everyone into the car. Cedany refused to move out of bed, when Naruto turned to me, I simply said I was just here to assist.

Sasuke had to flirt with Cedany to get her moving. Whatever works I guess...we were driving down the road. I was bored, everyone was talking about their own thing. I was lost in my thoughts until I heard a light beep. I looked around, I put my foot on the break only to hear the beep grow faster. I gripped the steering wheel tightly.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

"Everyone grab your bags!" I yelled out, reaching around to grab mine. I unlocked the doors; I was about to push mine open when saw no one was moving.

"What?" Naruto laughed. "Why?" I snapped up, were they really going to question me? Before I could open my mouth, the beeping grew loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Naruto grab Cedany!"

"On it!"

I tucked in my body trying to shield my side as I jumped out of the car which was flying down the dirt road. Once my foot left the gas it did not take long for the bomb inside the car to go off. My side had me gasping out for air, pain racked through my body.

The pain crushed everything I was, for a moment I was not Sakura Haruno, I was not the commander of the waterfall village and I was not on a mission with a bunch of morons. All my existence was in the moment was pain.

I heard faded screams from Naruto and Cedany. Kakashi's masked face filled the clear blue sky. His mask moved like he was talking but I could not hear him over Naruto and Cedany. He moved, lifting me up off the ground and pulling me into him.

It took a moment for the pain to die down and for me to catch my breath. I looked over where the car had exploded a few yards away. There were bits of fire as the car was now in pieces.

"This is why we do not take cars!" I yelled at anyone who could hear.

"Hey." Kakashi cupped my face with his hand, leading my sight to look at him. "Are you ok? How's your side?"

"I'm fine." I said, walking away from his grasp to check on Cedany who was on her knees crying.

"Are you ok?" I asked looking down at her.

"No!" She cried, "There were still two of my bags in that car!" She cried looking up at me.

"Oh my God." I muttered turning and walking away. I didn't feel any chakra around us, but that didn't mean whoever placed that bomb wasn't near us. I looked over as everyone was getting up and composing themselves.

"Alright, let's go." I called out, picking up my bag. I wanted to get as far as we could from this sight.

"Go?" Sasuke scoffed, "If you had not noticed we were almost blown up, give us a moment to breathe." I walked over towards him. "You are not the boss of us you are not on our team, calm yourself and we will tell you when we are ready to go."

How stupid was this guy? After everything they have learnt about me, he still spoke down to me like I was less of a person than he was. I glanced at team seven, it was like five years never past us, they still viewed me as that little girl who always had tears in her eyes.

"Alright." I said, walking over to Sasuke. "Let's get a few things clear, I am the one who had to save your sorry asses from being killed three times now. I got placed onto your mission because you could not handle the one job you have. I understand your village lacks disciple, but mine does not. You do not get to vote away the decisions the saves our fucking life's. Every time you people make your own decisions, we end up almost dying and becoming a fucking target!" I looked over at Naruto, who was looking at the grass. "If you have not noticed yet my decisions have led me to be the commander of a fucking army. I know what I am doing." I looked over at Kakashi, "I am not a part of your team, if you only want to me assist you that is fine by me, less work for me to do. But when it comes down to keeping you morons alive, I will not be spoken down to, until we return to your village and when we are threatened your ass belongs to me." I turned back to glare at Sasuke. "If you do not agree, I will hand you a map and you can return to your fucking village, and I'll finish this mission alone." I looked around at team seven, no one said anything. "Until then you are under my command, when I say jump you better fucking ask how high." I said, looking back at Sasuke. "Now while you have been fighting me have you ever even wondered who placed that bomb on the car? Are you not curious where those people may be?" I asked.

"You are right Sakura." Kakashi said moving to stand by my side. "We should get moving." I watched team seven pick up their bags and wait for Cedany to get up, she had three large bags. She whined wanting us to take them from her.

"You were told one bag; you carry what you want." I said as she walked over to where we stood, dragging her bags as she did so. Cedany stuck her nose in the air as she walked past me, I rolled my eyes and sighed shaking my head. These people raise my blood pressure. Naruto had been handed two of Cedany's bags as she walked past him.

Sasuke and Cedany were in the front, Naruto and I were in the middle as Kakashi was behind us. I glanced at Naruto who was sweating under the weight of the extra luggage. I believed he was too scared to say anything since he knew I was not in a good mood. I sighed, reaching over and taking a bag from him. He looked at me with large grateful eyes.

I looked ahead, Cedany was flirting with Sasuke again. I took her bag that was in my hand and tossed it to my left into the deep ditch. Naruto's mouth dropped open as we continued to walk. I turned, holding my hand out for the extra bag in his grasp. He looked at Cedany and then me, who was he more afraid of? Naruto let me take it and as I did the same to the first bag and swung second bag to the left, leaving it behind in the unused ditch.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked.

"What was what?" I asked sounding confused. Behind me I heard Kakashi chuckle, making my stomach flip. I ignored the feeling and looked ahead; we were almost to the mist village.

This mission was halfway done.


	7. Chapter 7

Team seven and I finally arrived at the village hidden in the mist as we escorted princess Cedany of the river village here in order to sign their yearly peace treaty.

This mission has been a huge pain in my ass. The mist village was not my favorite place to be in, I looked around slowly at the shinobi who were escorting us.

Something felt off about the vibes these ninjas gave off. I hid my suspensions; I couldn't be jumping to any conclusions now. I walked beside Kakashi with Cedany in front of me. I was surveying our surroundings when I spotted something interesting.

On the shinobi's belt who hung off to the side there hung a mask, the colors were a forest green but melted into a dark gray on the bottom. I pulled out my phone and opened a few pictures from the attack on the waterfall village Dawn had sent me a while back. The ninja who attacked the waterfall village all wore that same mask. I could not jump to conclusions and declare war...at least not yet.

Team seven and I were led into a throne room who had an old man sitting on top of it without a care in the world. He appeared to be in a good mood, that is until he spotted me. He darkened his face and his body tensed.

"Uh...sir?" Naruto asked, noticing the glaring between myself and the old bastard.

"Yes?" He smiled looking towards Naruto.

"Do you know Sakura...?"

"You mean the Reaper?" He asked glaring at me. "How could I not? She slaughtered my entire army." Team seven looked over at me shocked.

"Jago you were attacking the Waterfall Village." I cleared up the misunderstanding crossing my arms over my chest. "What did you think was going to happen?"

"You killed every-"

"You wanted a war, you attacked knowing damn well I am the Commander, you knew the stories but still sent your men to die anyway. That is not on me, that's on you." I found myself explaining more to Kakashi than anyone else.

"But you-" Jago tried to cut in, painting me as the monster.

"Yet when the Reapers came knocking on your door, you ran back to the Waterfall Village begging for my help. You are still that fucking coward you were when I first met you." Jago stared me down as he was at a loss for words.

"Why are you here in my village?" He spat.

"I am escorting a princess from the River Village" He scoffed at the village's name. "Anyway, where is your boss?" Team seven looked at me confused, I examined them before turning back to Jago.

"This-" I trailed off trying to figure out the word for him. "-miscreant here was the leader of this village a few years ago. But after he attacked me and nearly killed off his entire army he was impeached from the title, his brother took over." I said looking at him. "Where is Nile?" Jago gave off a sinful grin.

"He is not here, you all were four days late-" Jago explained, "-so he took off on official business. If you wish to wait around for him to return next week, I am sure I can find some room at the animal shelter for you all to wait." I rolled my eyes at the pettiness.

"Where did he go?" I said getting annoyed.

"That is Mist Village business." He spat at me.

"Ok." I said turning towards team seven. "Let's get Cedany back home so I can return you three to the leaf village." I turned and started to walk out the door, taking Cedany's hand in mine as I pulled her out of the room.

"Wh-What? Sakura!" Naruto called after me, Kakashi and Sasuke followed. I did not say anything more as we made our way out of the large building. I saw three more shinobi with that damn mask on our way out, I felt their eyes burning me.

"The leader is not here so the treaty cannot be signed, we will return Cedany back to her village then you three return to the Leaf."

"But our mission-"

"Was to bring Cedany here, Nile is not here that is not my problem. Now returning Cedany on the other hand, that is my problem." I looked back at them, "End of conversation." I snapped quickly getting us out of the mist village.

Finally, two miles from the village I stopped walking, turning on my heel to bite into Naruto I ran into Kakashi by mistake. I blinked looking up into his exposed eye, he smiled at me as I all my focus drained to his hand resting on my lower back.

"Shut the fuck up Naruto!" I snapped clearing my head, walking around Kakashi. "We are not going back to the River Village."

"Wait what?" Naruto asked dumbfounded. I sighed and pulled out my phone.

"Eh..." Naruto muttered, "Sakura why are you showing us pictures of people sleeping?"

"They are not sleeping Naruto, they are dead."

"Oh..." Naruto looked at Kakashi, "...Sakura why are you showing us pictures of dead people?" I put my phone away with an annoyed huff.

"There was an issue back at the Waterfall Village. A group of rogue shinobi tried to get in but failed. Those shinobi inside the mist village have the same masks that group did, but I don't believe they are rogues-"

"Ok, it's the same mask, so what?" Sasuke muttered shrugging.

"Wait..." Naruto looked at me, putting the pieces together. "The Mist Village attacked the Waterfall Village?"

"No." I said.

"I am confused." Naruto said scratching his head.

"I have met Nile; he would never attack a village if he did not have too. Because of Nile the Mist is on good terms with my village, he would never attack us. They do not have the manpower to do so."

"Ok but the mask-"

"But his douchebag brother Jago on the other hand, would."

"But he has no authority left?" Kakashi said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Nile's brother is a rat. I am sure he convinced a few shinobi to follow him. He has always wanted to take down the Waterfall Village that has never been a secret."

"Ok." Naruto said, "But why did you lie back there?"

"Because we are being followed. I have a feeling whoever placed that bomb on the King Williams car is tied to Jago, so no one needs to know where we are really going."

"Why would he want to kill Cedany?" Kakashi moved closer to me, I could feel the warmth radiating off him. "She isn't next in line for the throne."

"I don't know." I said, looking up at Kakashi. "The only thing I can think of is ever since Jago failed at attacking us the Mist Village is only standing because the Waterfall is supporting them, we have been for two years now. But now they are starting to get back onto their feet, they won't be in the shadows anymore."

"So, shinobi with the same masks that have been attacking people, going in and out of the village will be quickly noticed." Kakashi figured it out.

"So that dude is trying to keep the Mist Village in the shadows until he can take down the Waterfall Village?" Naruto asked.

"It's possible."

"And since Cedany is going to be the one to sign the peace treaty this year, he is trying to kill her to buy him some time?" Naruto was really trying to figure it out, good for him. I felt a little proud of him.

"Why didn't you just kill him while we were there?" Sasuke asked.

"I have no proof that Jago is the one behind any of this yet. Those shinobi I saw in there could be hiding here as a cover. I can't go just attacking people."

"So, this is a lead?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

"Ok!" Naruto jumped up, getting pumped. "So, what is the plan!?"

"I know of a small port town that we can stay in for the week until Neil returns." I explained.

"Good idea." Kakashi commented.

"Are you up for this?" I questioned Cedany.

"Do I have a choice?" Cedany asked.

"Not if you want to live." Naruto muttered.

"You three-" I said to team seven, "-this goes beyond what you were paid to do. You can return to the leaf village and I will handle things from here."

"Are you kidding!?" Naruto laughed walking over and wrapping an arm around me. "This is going to be fun! Going off assigned missions is what we do best!"

"Naruto is right." Kakashi said, "We are not the type to run off when thing gets hard. You should know that."

\----

Two days had passed by, with how busy the old port town was, I didn't feel comfortable staying inside the town, we were too exposed with all those people, so we hung out camping in the woods.

It was sundown; we were on ur way back to camp from getting supplies from town. My side hurt; the car explosion caused a few stitches to come loose again. I did my best to repair them, but I believe it was getting infected.

I could feel a fever coming on due to getting sick from this, the last thing we needed right now is me going septic which is why I kept this to myself. Naruto and Cedany were talking in a low tone about food. They liked the same things I guess; I was not paying much attention, I felt very hot.

A black kunai flew past my face and landed a few yards in front of us. Pulling out my sword I spun around, clashing blades with a guy who wore the same tacky green and gray mask.

"Cedany!" I yelled, "Take cover!" But it was too late; we were in a trap. Shinobi were all around us, and I was feeling worse by the second, I couldn't even sense these shinobi. Naruto pulled Cedany behind him.

"Take down the Reaper!" I heard voices call out.

I watched has half of the shinobi set their eyes on me. I groaned feeling uncomfortable from the pain my side caused. Fucking Naruto, this was his fault. Shinobi began their way towards me, seeing the shiny price tag on my head, and they all wanted to claim it for themselves.

I was separated from team seven, time did not exist as I fought off the Reapers from trying to claim my life. As I fought, the more I thought. So, the Reapers and Jago from the mist village were involved together, I don't believe a random group of rogues would try and strike the waterfall village.

I needed to get back to the mist village and question Jago. Bodies littered the ground around me, on the bright side of this most of the oncoming ninja were trying to kill me, so team seven should be having an easier time.

I was pushing my way towards team seven, every so often I could hear Naruto I think this is the first time I have found myself grateful for how naturally loud his was. I jumped in the air, clashing swords. I pushed myself off the masked girl and landed a few feet away from Naruto and Cedany. I flung a kunai into the back of a Reaper who tried to jump Cedany.

"Thanks Sakura!" Naruto called out, punching a guy in the face with a smile. The fight continued; I was busy with a group of masked shinobi, I had trusted Naruto with Cedany. I don't know why I had been so stupid...her bloody scream echoed through the battle ground scaring a few birds away.

"Help me!" Cedany cried.

I glanced over in her direction, a tall masked man had her by her hair and was pulling a kunai out of his bag. Fuck me. I jumped up; I forced my way towards Cedany. Before I could figure out what happened I watched as a flash of orange tackled the man holding Cedany, Naruto fought with the guy on the ground.

I was then blocked by a wall of ninja, I glared but there was not anything I could do, I gripped my sword, ready to fight. I looked over as Kakashi was pushed towards the ground with a ninja on top of him. I through a kunai in the ninja's back, my attempt to help Kakashi. I heard Sasuke cry out from a stab to his leg. Naruto was screaming something that I could not understand.

I always preferred hand to hand combat over jutsu. But I couldn't be picky now, I felt myself sweating and was becoming nauseous. I summoned fire, and a lot of it. Twelve Reapers could not escape my flames. I looked over only to jump away and a new wave of people coming out of the trees.

Fuck my life.

A large wall of fire pushed most of the new wave of Reapers back. I wrapped it around them steaming them alive. I looked over as Naruto jumped in front of a man who was about to attack Sasuke. I could not help him, I was running towards Cedany, who was being held by the neck by a stranger.

Why was Naruto not watching Cedany!? He has one job!

I kicked him away and turned away only to be grabbed by the neck. Before I could open my eyes and attack him, I felt a stinging sensation rattle my skin, it was like lava was being poured into my throat and dripping down into my body. I bit my jaw down and opened my eyes.

There stood Jadeite, second in command of the Reapers. He wore a dark blue suit; his shirt was unbuttoned exposing too much of his shaved chest. He had long dark brown hair and matching eyes. His mouth twisted upwards into a sinister smile.

"My oh my-" His deep voice chuckled out. "-how I have missed you Reaper."

"Jadeite." I growled out.

"You remember me-" Jadeite gasped, pretending to be shocked. He looked down at Cedany. She was on the ground, eyes wide with terror and her body shook. "-I remember you too." Jadeite smirked. "I killed your mother." He laughed at her pained expression. I grunted in pain as he tightened his grip on my neck.

Of course, I was caught, because I was too busy defending Cedany who should have been watched by Naruto. Ever since I had returned to the leaf village, my life has been getting messed up left and right. Fucking team seven, I would shake my head if I was not getting the life choked out of me.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried out, I wanted to yell at him to pay attention to his own shit, he was a fucking squirrel! I glanced over any way; I saw Naruto was being held down against the earth by one of Jadeite's glorified assistants. I could not move; I felt every muscle in my body contract. I gasped; I knew this pain. I knew what was happening, I tried to regain control over my body, but I failed.

"Stop trying to fight it." Jadeite laughed leaning closer to me. "You know what this is, yes?" I glared, if looks could kill that would make my life a whole lot easier right now. "I will take that as a yes. But do not worry, I have improved my father's technique." He shot me an corrupt smile as I gazed into his cold hungry eyes, I did not see a human looking back at me, I didn't know what he was. "You and your friend will not survive this; I can promise you that." Naruto who was screaming in pain, all I could do was listen as my body became paralyzed, soon white dots blurred my vision.

"Sakura!" Kakashi attacked Jadeite, stabbing him in his side. Jadeite gave out a surprised cry and let go of me. I felt like I was falling slowly, as I watched Jadeite dance away from Kakashi who then turned grabbing me before I hit the ground. I caught a glimpse of Sasuke who was trying to wake Naruto. Kakashi fixed my head so I was looking upward. I could not hear the muffled voices off Jadeite and Kakashi.

I was looking up at the sky at the colorful clouds. I knew after a while Kakashi was trying to get me to respond to him. He was screaming at me to say something but all I could think about was how beautiful the clouds were, every night I would look up at the stars and watch them for hours.

Why did I not do this with clouds?

They were painted into the sky so softly, smoothly bathed within their pastel colors. Kakashi came into my view but all I could keep thing about is why didn't I look up at the clouds and watch them too? They deserved it.

Why didn't I?

Why didn't I look up at the clouds more?

\----

I woke up and saw no clouds, nor stars just beautiful darkness. Was this finally death who had come to take me? I looked around; Ah, no... well damn, I was in a cave.

There was a small fire going giving off warmth with a soft glow. I still could not move my body, I felt so weak. I was so tired I didn't even care that I was angry.

"Sakura!" Kakashi's voice caught my attention. His annoying masked face popped into my line of sight. His placed his gloved hand on my forehead, what good was that going to do? He had gloves on. He picked up my hand and held it in his, he squeezed my hand lightly. I tried to move my hand and squeeze back but I couldn't. "Sakura..." He breathed as he was searching my face, sleep hit me like a moving truck.

"Kakashi, I think we are in the clear for now." Sasuke's voice echoed inside the cave. He dropped more firewood against the wall and looked up seeing me looking at him. "Sakura?" He walked over towards us. "How is she?" He asked looking at Kakashi,

"She just woke up." Kakashi answered, not moving his eyes off me. I felt my eyes grow heavy and I started to drift back off. "Sakura!" Kakashi shouted sounding concerned, "Fight it, stay awake!"

When I resurfaced, I could move my head this time. I had control over my body. Naruto was on the other side of the cave. His head was facing me as his mouth hung wide open with drool leaking out.

He was passed out and wasn't waking up anytime soon. I went to take in a deep breath, but my rib cage refused to expand out, I ended up coughing. I rolled onto my side trying to grasp any trace of oxygen into my lungs. My body felt like it was made of cracked glass.

"Sakura!" Footsteps ran over to me; I was getting tired of hearing my name. A pair of hands rolled me onto my back, it had been Kakashi. He covered me back up with his sleeping bag.

"Do not move." Sasuke instructed.

"How long have we been out?" I asked as Kakashi helped me sit up, he then brought a water bottle to my mouth. I felt like a child, I didn't even have the strength to hold the damn thing myself. He capped the bottle and placed it off to the side, but Kakashi did not move his arm from around me. If he did then I probably would fall backwards.

"Couple hours." Sasuke answered.

"Has Naruto come to at all?" I questioned.

"No." Sasuke sighed,

"How is Cedany?" I asked seeing her asleep beside Naruto.

"She feels like this is her fault you got hurt." Sasuke answered looking at the sleeping girl.

"Kind of is." I muttered.

"That man-" Kakashi ignored my comment. "The one who was choking you, who was he?"

"Yeah." Sasuke added, wanting to know the same information. "He sure as hell knew you."

"Jadeite." I breathed as my head felt like it was spinning around in a dryer.

"Who is he?" Sasuke drilled.

"He is second in charge of the Reapers." I said.

"-fucking kidding me." Sasuke muttered, leaning back against the cave wall.

"Something is wrong with Naruto." Kakashi changed the subject. "You and him both have the same marks on your shoulders. What did that man do to you both?"

"A sun inside of a circle?" I felt like shit, like I hadn't slept in days.

"Yes." Sasuke sounded surprised. "How did you-"

"Because I have had this mark before." I cut in tired of talking.

"You what?" Sasuke pushed himself off the cave wall. "What the hell is it?!"

"It seals the person's chakra." I answered feeling my head bob back and forth as I began to feel another title wave hit me, crashing me down into the depths its sleep. "It's stronger this time though..."

"But you know how to get rid of it right?" Sasuke asked. I shook my head slightly.

"I don't know." I answered.

"What?" Sasuke snapped, "How do you not know?! Naruto he...look at him!"

"I know." I said "Kaguya was the one to break the seal the last time. But this seal as has been tampered with. It won't be as easy as last time; I don't know what is going to happen."

"Who was the first person to use this seal?"

"It doesn't matter." I sighed.

"Why?!" Sasuke demanded. "Maybe if we-"

"The original leader of the Reapers, he was the one who placed it on me after my cover was blown."

"Your cover?"

"Inside the Reapers."

"Wait, what!?" Sasuke's voice was like knives against my skull.

"Mhm." I nodded.

"Sakura." Kakashi rubbed the side of my face, stirring me awake. "How was your cover blown?"

"I was in a unit on the Reapers, we got sent to the grass village. I turned on them when I discovered they were attacking the village."

"Was that the night your parents were killed?" Sasuke was annoying me.

"Yeah." I answered. "The Reaper's leader wasn't pleased I got so high up in the Reaper's chain of command and well..."

"Well?"

"He couldn't beat me; I was stronger than him so he created a seal that could beat me."

"This seal...its..." Sasuke's voice trailed off. My eyes were closed, I could only imagine his face.

"It was designed to kill me." I finished for him.

"We need to find this leader and-" I cut Sasuke off as I began to laugh.

"Do you think it will be that easy to hunt a Reaper down?" I opened my eyes and looked at Sasuke.

"We need to try; we would find him and-"

"He is dead." I ended the conversation.

"How can you be sure?" Sasuke asked.

"I am the one who killed him." I snapped.

"Maybe you missed or-"

"I sliced his head off and burned his body." I smirked at Sasuke's stunned face.

I laid my head against Kakashi's chest. I listened to his heartbeat with my eyes closed for a long time, I oddly found myself liking this sound. Everyone was quiet until Sasuke spoke up. I opened my eyes once he started talking.

"All this seal is going to do his block off your chakra, right?

"That's part of it."

"Why is it only part of it!?" Sasuke almost sounded like he was whining.

"Because nothing is ever easy in my life." I joked. "This seal will eat away at the chakra." Sasuke moved to check on Naruto, who seemed to have a fever. I glanced up towards Kakashi, with his mask hiding his face I didn't have a lot to look at, but I watched as each strand of his silver hair bent and seemed to defy gravity.

Kakashi noticed me watching him and I was too tired to move my head to deny the fact I was checking him out. This seal really was fucking me up. Kakashi did that stupid thing where he closed his eye as, he smiled at me under his mask. He ran his warm fingers softly down my face, for a moment I felt like he was telling me everything was going to be alright, he was here.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled causing Kakashi to jump, pulling me closer into him as he moved.

"What is wrong with him?" Kakashi asked.

"There are marks spreading all over his body!" Sasuke answered, for how standoffish Sasuke was towards Naruto I was generally surprised Sasuke showed this much emotion right now.

"He is fine." I called out my voice had cracks in it, annoying me deeply.

"What?" Sasuke looked over to me.

"It is the seal."

"What does that mean!?" Sasuke asked, as the campfire reflected light off Sasuke's face I saw how stressed he truly was. He had dark bags under his eyes and a deep frown on his face.

"Because of this seal, there's no chakra in our bodies."

"How is that possible?"

"Yes." Kakashi agreed, "Our bodies create it, we need it to survive."

"That is true but think of the seal as a vacuum. The longer it is placed on us, the more chakra it is going to suck up. The fact that Naruto is beginning to bruise tells me that the seal is sucking chakra up faster than his body can make it. Which is why you're seeing injuries that could normally be healed without us knowing."

"What about you?" Kakashi wondered, he reached down to my arm and lifted my sleeve and sure enough I had bruises beginning to flourish along my skin. I watched Kakashi brush his fingers across the marks on my arm. The light sensation was enough for the tilt wave of sleep in its favor, I could not fight it any long. My eyes sealed shut and I felt my head fall onto Kakashi's shoulder.

\----

"What the hell!?"

"Calm down Naruto!"

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down!?"

"We need to figure out what our next move is going to be. Now that your awake we can move."

"What the hell do you mean move!? We are down two people! I am useless and Sakura is still passed out!"

"You are going to tire yourself out Naruto, calm down."

No, just all types of hell no. I felt my blood pressure spike hearing team seven bickering with each other. I tried to drive back down into the pool of black sleep, but I was failing. It was like I was being pushed back into reality; this was not fair. I was only 'assisting' team seven anyway so I should be allowed to sleep.

Against my wishes, I opened my eyes. Naruto was sitting up holding his head as Sasuke lectured him that we needed to move. We had been in the same spot for far too long and if we were to be discovered by the Reapers, we would not stand a chance. Sadly, Sasuke was correct. Now that this mark was on me the Reapers were going to be in even more of a frenzy to hunt me down and kill me while they had a chance.

Fanfuckingtasic.

I wanted to sit up and tell Sasuke to shut the fuck up for five seconds but the moment I opened my eyes, my head throbbed. It was like something was squeezing my skull with a juicer. I moved my head, instantly regretting it. My eyesight was blurry, and my stomach rolled around inside my gut.

I shoved my face into the pillow under my head and as I did, my headache eased. I couldn't describe the smell; it didn't match the scent of a piece of food or fragrance I knew of but it smelt really comforting, my muscles relaxed and I felt as strange as it may sound, I felt safe in this moment. I wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep as I buried my face deeper into the pillow.

"I'll draw them away; you get Naruto and Sakura as far from here as you can." I woke up to Kakashi's voice. At first, I didn't care what they were saying but then after my blissful second of ignorance I snapped my eyes open. I had an uneasy feeling in my chest at the thought of Kakashi playing bait.

"Hey!" I heard Cedany, I looked up seeing her face above me, ew. "Sakura is awake!" Cedany announced as if she had won at a game of bingo. Sasuke and Kakashi moved towards where I laid. Kakashi kneeled beside me,

"Do you think you can move?" He asked me, I shook my head.

"You are not going to make yourself into bait." I ordered him.

"Sakura-"

"They won't go after you." I cut Kakashi off, sitting up with Kakashi's help.

"Why won't they go after him?" Sasuke rubbed his face.

"They are not after him." I thought this was all obvious shit to understand, apparently it was not.

"They are after you." Cedany gasped out. I rolled my eyes, it made them burn and made me a little dizzy to do so but I had too. She was the reason I got this damn thing put on me in the first place, it was her and Naruto's fault.

"Sakura, we may not have a choice." Kakashi explained, "Those Reapers are getting closer to where we are."

"They are scouting under every rock." Sasuke added. "It's only a matter of time before they discover we are here." I sighed, I could play as bait...give team seven and Cedany a chance to run. I promised William and Arabella I would keep Cedany safe, it didn't matter how much I didn't like her, I still had a job to do.

"Sakura..." Cedany trailed off, sitting next to me. "Could you and Naruto die from this?" She asked yeah, she would like that wouldn't she?

"Sakura?" Kakashi's tone let me know this was a factor that he had not thought about. "Could you and Naruto die from this?"

"It's...a possibility." I drew out, knowing this isn't what they wanted to hear but for Naruto's annoying sake I couldn't lie.

"How did you survive that last time?" Cedany asked.

"I didn't." I said honestly.

"What?" Kakashi breathed his exposed eye widened.

"Kaguya was barely able to resuscitate me."

"Because you didn't have chakra?" Sasuke was trying to understand as he turned to Naruto. It was not as simple has that; how could I explain to them what was happening?

"Picture a soda can." I explained. "The longer this seal is on us, the more you shake the can. When you open the lid, or if the seal if removed...what happens to the soda in the can?"

"It explodes." Cedany answered.

"You guys will explode!?" Sasuke asked jumping to his feet, as if that would do something.

"Yes."

"What if the seals are kept on?" Kakashi looked into my eyes,

"We will die from lack of chakra."

"What the fuck?" Sasuke groaned, holding his head.

"That is the point of the seal." I said sighing shaking my head. Kakashi touched my shoulder, is fingers lightly brushed the mark of the seal.

"This looks old, it had to have been forbidden. How could the Reapers get their hands on it?" Kakashi talked more to himself than the rest of us in this cave.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" I asked feeling exhausted "The Reapers are the ones creating the forbidden arts." Sasuke looked to Kakashi and then to me, his mouth slightly agape. I don't know why they seemed so shocked, someone had to had been making the dark arts they didn't just pop up and go boo. "I may have only been tracking them for a couple years, but the Reapers have been around for a long time. There is so much you don't know, and it exhausts me."

"It is getting to be light soon." Cedany muttered, hugging her knees.

"You four have to go." I told Kakashi.

"We left no trail-" Kakashi smiled under his mask, "-we are safe here for the time being until you and Naruto can stand."

"You are not safe here." My stomach twisted, "They could be tracking your chakra, you need to get Naruto-"

"They can do what?" Sasuke cut in causing me to huff.

"Your chakra can be tracked if you use it, it's really not hard if your trained to do it."

"How?" Sasuke was curious.

"I do not have the energy to explain it to you. But it's like a dog catching a sent, once you know it, you never forget it. That's why I have not been able to track down the Reapers hideout."

"Why can't you? It can't be that hard if you track their chakra or whatever..." Cedany dared to speak up, I was feeling so mad at her, but I cracked a smile.

"Did you really think I am just too stupid to find them?"

"Err..." Cedany blushed. "No..."

"There hideout is in a different dimension, that is why I can't trace them."

"What?" Sasuke gasped.

"Rinnegan, it allows you to travel to different dimensions. The Reapers can do it, but we have no idea how. And when we do try and go after them then we just get lost and it's a freaking headache-"

"What do you mean when you went after them?" Kakashi asked wondered. I sighed, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It took a moment to draw them up, but I was able too. I wasn't going to be able to use them with this damn seal on me, but I could sport them for show.

"Ho-How?" Sasuke breathed looking into my eyes, they were no longer their vibrant green shade, instead the rinnegan swirled around inside them.

"My blood line inherited it from Kaguya." I answered, blinking them away. It hurt too much to have them activated right now.

"You are just full of surprises." Kakashi said, making me want to smile.

I forced myself to sit up and I felt very confused. The mouth of the cave was getting dark...I was just awake, talking to Kakashi. I noticed that I was alone inside the cave, had team seven done what I told them to do?

My throat was burning, I began to search around for water when a familiar sound of metal clashing together drew my attention back towards the mouth of the cave. I pulled the sleeping bag off my legs and rose to my feet. I almost buckled under the weight of my own body, I reached out using the rough cave wall for support. Outlines of Kakashi and Sasuke were fighting off a group of masked shinobi. Cedany and Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"The great Reaper of Reapers-" A voice drew my attention, I turned seeing a Reaper walking towards me, laughing as he did so, "-how grand are you now?!"

"Still grand enough to kick your ass." I spat, tightening my already weak grip on my sword, I had a feeling this was not going to be fun. The shinobi rose this blade as he ran towards me.

I blocked his sword with my own, pushing him back as I did so but that little movement already had me winded. A dark kunai flew past me, slamming into the Reaper's chest. I turned, Kakashi was by my side with his hands in his pockets looking at me with his closed eye smile.

"Where is Cedany?" I questioned.

"She is safe." Kakashi sounded so calm.

"Where are we going?" Naruto's groggy voice turned my head, Sasuke was pulling him from a pile of bushes.

"Road trip." Sasuke muttered as he lifted Naruto up.

"Nah, I'm too tired for that, let's just go back to bed." Naruto whined.

"We can sleep when we get home Naruto." Sasuke grunted as he lifted Naruto on his back, giving him a piggyback ride. "You are so heavy." Sasuke gasped out.

Kakashi turned to me, his sharingan eye was exposed. He reached out, as if he was about to try and pick me up. I snapped, around hearing them before Kakashi. I pushed Kakashi back out of the line of fire which had sprayed down on us. We were able to dodge the attack but a wall of fire separated team seven and myself. Kakashi and I locked eyes as a second group of Reapers dropped around me.

This was my problem; they were after me not the leaf shinobi.

"Go!" I yelled at Kakashi, I turned and blocked a sword from taking my head clean off my shoulders.

I glanced behind me making sure no Reaper was going after team seven, they were not. I felt slightly confused though, I told Kakashi to leave and they did which is what I told them to do so why was I feeling so...disappointed?

I turned back at the seven men in front of me who laughed, fully believing they had a chance at taking me down and tonight that was a full possibility.

\----

It was so dark in this forest. I had layers of blood, sweat and dirt coating my skin. My heart was beating like a hummingbird inside my chest, my breathing was labored as I forced myself to stay awake and fought to strong urges to sleep.

"You can't fight forever Reaper!" A masked shinobi taunted me, he sliced through the skin on my arm, I could not heal due to the fucking poison in my body! I was kicked against a large tree, I looked up in time to move out of the way of a sword.

A callused hand wrap around my already bruised neck and squeeze. Vital air was blocked from getting into my lungs. I felt my body panic, begging me for air. The shinobi who had me literally by the throat was ripped away, I gasped pulling in air deeply. I leaned against the trunk of that tree for it was the only thing keep me on my feet.

"Sakura?" I snapped up at the that voice.

"Kakashi?" I breathed; I saw his dark figure outlined by the moonlight walk over towards me. "I told you all to leave!" I began to lecture, but I was lying to myself when I said I wasn't delighted to see Kakashi hadn't left like I had told him too. I moved forward on shaking legs but Kakashi pushed my body up against a tree.

"I have been looking for you for hours!" Kakashi sounded angry, I couldn't think of a time where I had seen Kakashi mad before.

"Well I have been here." I mocked him; it was just my instinct too. I heard him chuckle from deep in his chest, I felt his hand run across my face. I winched at the stinging on my cheek when he brushed across a cut.

"Sakura." He breathed.

"I am fine." I said, all my weight rested against the tree. After I caught my breath, I noticed how both of Kakashi's hands were on either side of my body, holding me against this tree trunk.

"You are hurt." He stated the obvious.

"Well I have been fighting without chakra for a few hours now. Let me see how good you can do it. If you live, then you can judge me." I half joked.

Kakashi was so close to me, I could feel his body heat and I got a sniff of the same scent as before, while I was sleeping in the cave...I looked at the darkened outline of Kakashi, it was Kakashi's shirt I was smelling. He chuckled again. he was about to say something until I felt him being ripped away.

"I will be the one to kill the Reaper!" A voice yelled. I felt a cold unforgiving hand around my neck pressing me harder against the tree. The slight clink of a kunai being dragged out of its holster caught my attention.

My brain ran in circles trying to think of something to do! The tightness around my throat vanished, I opened my eyes a little confused. I heard a gurgling sound fill the night air.

"Sakura?" Kakashi's voice called out. "Are you alright?"

"Define alright!" I called back holding my neck, slowly pushing myself off the tree to walk towards him on jelly filled legs.

I heard him chuckle again at my comments. He walked in my direction; I could hear the crunch of the woods under his feet. I didn't how much longer I could fight like this; I was starving and most likely dehydrated. Kakashi reached me, I felt my eyes widen in surprise as I felt him pushed me backwards, pressing me back against the tree I had almost been killed on twice.

Kakashi's hands cupped my head, my brain didn't register what was happening until I felt Kakashi's lips against mine. My eyes were wide, and my body tensed up as I slowly came to the realization of what was happening.

Slowly, I felt myself relax as I allowed my eyes to close, I leaned into Kakashi's embrace as I kissed him back. Kakashi dropped one hand from my face and placed it on my lower back pulling me closer to him. My stomach was fluttering as my heart was pounding so loud it echoed filling my ears.

I placed my hand on his chest as Kakashi's hand on my cheek kept my head tilted, I felt his tongue run along my bottom lip asking for permission in. Fire ignited in the pit of my stomach as Kakashi's wet tongue dipped into my mouth, exploring every inch. I have kissed men before, but nothing felt quite like this.

Every piece of my bare skin that Kakashi touched was set ablaze, it was an exhilarating feeling...or maybe it was the blood loss...

"Kakashi!" Naruto's voice echoed through the trees.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled soon after that.

"Where are you!?" Naruto yelled out.

Kakashi broke our kiss with a curse on his lips, he turned his head to gaze off into the distance where the voices were coming from. I blinked a few times as I felt a haze began to thin. Kakashi wrapped an arm around me, leading me away from the tree and towards the voices.

After a moment I had a flashlight shined in my eyes. I was instantly blinded; I covered my face with my arm. I glanced at Kakashi, able to see a little better now he had his mask on, looking composed as he always did.

"Sakura!" Naruto said jogging over towards me. He stopped and looked taken back as he gasped. I looked at where everyone else was looking, me. I was more blood than skin; I felt dirty.

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled pointing at him I looked over, blood was smeared over the front of his uniform.

"Are you two ok?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, it is not my blood." Kakashi chuckled.

"Oh." Naruto muttered, "Sakura!" Naruto yelled again, shining the light in my eyes again, I looked away from it, putting my hand up. "Sorry!" He yelled, moving the light again. "How do you feel?"

"How do you feel?" I asked countered,

"I slept a lot." Naruto laughed rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, "I feel a bit better." 

"Good."

"You did not answer the question." Sasuke stated slightly glaring at me.

"I am alive." I answered.

"We are not far from a village!" Naruto said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, which one?" I asked looking at my clothing, there was no cleaning this mess might as well just burn it.

"The Waterfall Village." I stopped thinking and looked over at him.

"The Waterfall Village?" I repeated.

"Yeah!" Naruto smiled. "It is about a day away; the map says so."

"Great." I breathed.

"We just have to pick Cedany up first."

"Where is she?" I wondered looking around.

"We put hid her in a tree." Kakashi answered putting his hands in his pockets.

"She climbed a tree?" I laughed at the thought.

"No, we put her in it." Naruto laughed, "They put me in it too. It was not that bad. It was kind of warm." He said looking at me scratching his chest laughing. I didn't even want to know how they did it. I shook it off and followed them to where Cedany was hidden. It was an hour walk; I was overly tired but sure enough I watched Sasuke pull Cedany out of the trunk of a tree.

"Huh." My arms were crossed over my chest. "How interesting."

"Your alive." Cedany was shocked to see me.

"Can't kill me that easily." I said waiting for everyone to get their bags on and get ready for the days' worth of walking...fantastic. I went to reach for my bag but Kakashi beat me to it. I looked up at him, my heart skipped thinking back to the kiss we shared. "I can-" Kakashi flashed me his signature closed eye smile.

"I will carry this." He turned and left no room for argument as he walked away. I glared at his back until I felt better.

I pulled my arms up as glared at the dried blood and dirt as if I could scare it away. I sighed; we were surrounded by thick forests which means we were getting closer to the waterfall village. We had stopped for a small break, I basically collapsed to the forest floor, my heart was running laps as I felt freaking hot. I leaned against a tree as Cedany cried for water, I closed my eyes for just a moment.

I startled myself awake, opening my eyes quickly to see night had fallen around us. I was laying on my good side inside a sleeping bag. Kakashi was in front of me lighting a fire. I saw a pair of blue shoes stepped in front of me. I looked up and saw Sasuke kneel.

"Hey..." Sasuke said low voice brushing hair out of my face. "...how do you feel?" I couldn't speak, all I could do was dip in and out of this world and my playground of hellish nightmares.

"Sasuke," I heard Kakashi. "She is drained, let her rest."

I felt myself resurfacing to reality too quickly, I opened my eyes to birds chirping and the bright sun blinding me. The dick. I sat up slowly feeling like I had a wild night of drinking, and I am waking up in a drainpipe. The forest around me was peaceful.

"Sakura." I really wanted to ignore Sasuke. "How are you feeling?" He sounded a little worried. I finally turned my attention to him, but I looked past him and saw Kakashi was checking Naruto's pulse. I noticed everything was packed and ready to go, the fire was even out.

"Mhm." I responded to Sasuke as I moved to stand. Kakashi was at my side in a hot moment, he caught me when I stumbled.

"The seal is getting worse." Sasuke noted, I warned them this would happen.

"We need to move." I said, pushing myself out of Kakashi's grasp.

"We can't." Sasuke scoffed. "You can barely walk, and Naruto is passed out."

"Then pick him up and carry him." I stated flatly. "We need to go."

"Why?" Sasuke glared, "So you can run off to-"

"Do you think sleeping is helping Naruto's condition?" I spat feeling my temper shorten. "No! The more he sleeps the worse he becomes. We need to move!"

Sasuke didn't reply, he just walked past me and picked Naruto up out of his sleeping bag and Kakashi rolled it up and carried everyone's bags. Kakashi kept looking over at me. I felt tired, I was forcing myself to walk.

It hurt like a bitch, who ever said just go to your happy place it will all be ok, needs to get bitch slapped because that whole go to your happy place shit is a bunch of bull.

"Stand down." I called out feeling team seven and myself getting surrounded. Eight people dropped to the ground, bowing as they kept their heads down.

"C-Commander!" There was a mixture of emotion in their voices as they saw me.

"Get the infirmary ready, four people are in need of care." I ordered.

"Of course, anything else Commander?"

"Get Kaguya, immediately."

After they vanished, I kept on walking forward. We soon walked through the first gate. Wildflowers filled every inch of the area around us. Hundreds of trees and a waterfall was as far as the eye could see.

"This is the waterfall village?" Naruto asked looking around still riding on Sasuke's back.

"No." I said, "This is the gate to the village."

"The gate?" Sasuke sounded confused.

"Yes. We are in the soldier's grounds right now." I explained.

"Soldiers grounds?" Kakashi asked.

"The shinobi or soldiers as we are called here, do not live in the actual village, we live around it."

"Why?" Naruto asked, but before I could answer my soldiers appeared. Jumping out of the trees, they stood at attention. Which meant they had to stand straight with correct posture, which is where the famous, "chin up, chest out, shoulders back and stomach in" comes from. Their arms are to be at their sides and eyes front.

"Commander!" They all said at once.

"At ease." I called, not looking at any of them. They relaxed their knees, moved their left foot to the side, and interlock their fingers behind their back. I turned to look back at team seven, I was going to see how Naruto was doing since he was awake, but I didn't get the chance.

I jumped sideways, a shinobi with a large sword as sliced through the ground where I had been standing. I heard team seven, but I had to ignore them. I pulled my sword from my back; I spun around his large body and ran my sword into his lower back and twisted. The shinobi went limp, falling to the ground. I held my sword as it fell, it was once again coated in blood and needed to desperately be cleaned.

"That-That was a Waterfall shinobi." Sasuke looked from me to the dead ninja.

"Mhm." I said turning and walking away, someone would deal with the body.

"Wh-What do you mean 'Mhm'?!" Sasuke picked up his pace as we walked through the gates of the waterfall village, I turned to look at team seven.

"That's how it is here." I answered.

"You guys just attack and kill each other?!" Naruto's mouth hung open, even Kakashi's posture was affected.

"Yes."

"What!?" Sasuke and Naruto were looked shaken.

"That is just how it is here." I shrugged,

"How what is!?" Naruto yelled in Sasuke's ear causing me to sigh, I looked over seeing medics who wore all white running towards us. "Why would that guy want to attack you!?"

"Because whoever kills me gets my title." I answered as the medics came just in time to get me out of this conversation. "Take Team Seven and get them treated." I ordered, the four medics nodded and walked over towards Team seven and Cedany.

"Hey!" Naruto called, "Put me down!" He called but was too weak to fight them.

"I can walk." Sasuke glared at the medic who tried to put him on a stretcher.

"Sakura, where are you going?" Cedany asked seeing me walking a different way than where they were going, I looked back at her.

"You guys can trust them, they will keep you safe." I said with a wave, I saw Dawn and Diem running towards me.

"Sakura!?" Naruto called as I started to walk away from them. But I couldn't turn back to look at him, I needed to get this damn seal off me and then I needed to figure out what is the deal with the mist village and those shinobi with those masks from the reapers. I had a feeling the waterfall village would be going to war very soon.

\----

I opened my eyes and saw I was laying in my bed, in my room inside the Waterfall Village. I sat up, my entire body was sore as I reached over and touched my injured side. I wore a baggy white shirt and pants. Kaguya was beside me in a chair, knitting...why was she knitting?

"Kaguya?" I asked very confused.

"Sakura." She stood up and walked over towards me, she felt my forehead. "How do you feel?" I thought for a moment.

"Fine?" I sat up, very sore. "Wait, the seal its-"

"Gone." She smiled,

"I don't remember..."

"You met me at the arena remember." She said laying me back on my pillow. "I removed the seal, and I won't lie, it was a little hard containing your chakra, but you pulled through better this time than the last."

"Kaguya." I said sitting up, "I need-" She stopped me.

"You need to rest." She said stopping me, "You are home now, that is all I care about." She touched my cheek with her hand. "I have missed you, now get some rest."

"What about team seven?" I asked, "And Cedany?" Kaguya turned to look at me.

"Cedany is fine, she is in her own room resting. I have arranged a team to escort her home, I gathered the outline of what had happened on the mission from the leaf village shinobi who are in the infirmary recovering."

"I see." I said laying back in my bed. It felt nice, not having that seal placed on me.

I took a small nap and then got dressed after a hot shower. The waterfall village uniform was different than the uniform I wore when I went out on missions on my own, like when I was inside the leaf village.

I slid on dark blue thick cargo pants, a white t shirt, and a dark blue jacket over it which held my name and rank. Other soldiers had team numbers on theirs, but I was not on a team. I put on my black boots and walked out my bedroom door.

I walked to Kaguya's office and knocked on the door four times.

"Enter." She called. "How do you feel?" She asked as I walked into the room.

"Better."

"You have been gone for a while." Kaguya said.

"Yes, you stationed me inside the Leaf Village."

"It has been a few weeks."

"Correct."

"It was longer than I had thought you would be gone."

"I know, but the Reapers are migrating. "

"Sakura." She stated my name looking about out the window.

"Yes?"

"Can you explain as to how you received that seal?"

"Jadeite."

"I was the one who trained you, you are an equal match against him. That does not explain how you were taken off guard and allowed yourself to be attacked."

"I did not let my guard down. We were under attack; I chose to save Cedany's life. That is how I got the seal."

"What about the other time?" Kaguya asked turning around to look at me. "You, getting hurt by a random, low level Reaper? That is not like you."

"I..." I looked down, "I saved a leaf shinobi's life, that is how I got hurt. It was my job to protect them."

"Which one was it?" She asked.

"What?"

"Which one of those leaf shinobi was it?" She repeated turning towards me. "You held such hatred for that village. You walked away; you were done with them. And then I come to find out you almost died saving a member of that village...which one was it?"

"The blond haired one down in the infirmary."

"I knew I recognized them." She said taking something out of her desk. She tossed it towards me, it floated down to my feet. There laid a picture of team seven, we all took it together on our first day as a team. "That is your old team."

"Yes."

"Why are you risking your life for them?" She raised her voice turning towards me. "They took you for granted. Explain to me why you are ready to die to protect them!" Kakashi's kiss danced uninvited through my mind. "Just a handful of weeks inside that village and they have already changed you, you're going soft!"

"I am not."

"Oh, really?" She asked. In a flash I spun around only to see Kaguya holding a knife to my throat. My side grunted, reminding me it was still injured. "You are dull." She said walking past me. "You are acting like a child. Running around playing with that group of boys!" She yelled looking at me. "You are not acting like a leader I trained you to be! This is not how I want the commander of my army acting!" She glared. "Do you care about that team down there?" Kakashi's masked face flashed into my mind.

"No."

"Really?" Her voice was testing me.

"You put me in that village, I did not want to go in the first place."

"I do not believe you." She said, tossing her kunai on the picture at my feet. "Even after all these years, I can see they still have a hold over you. I can see how their memories have their nails still latched onto you" She glared through me. "You need to make a choice. Them or us-"

"Ok." I said with a laugh in my voice, "You're being a little dramatic."

"Sakura-"

"You sent me to that damn village, you made it, so I had to go out on two missions with them. Don't try and put this shit on me. I am slow because if you have already forgotten in your old fucking age, I just had a seal that was designed especially for me ripped off and I just got my chakra back. Yes, Kaguya I am a little fucking tired from that."

"Hm." Kaguya huffed, still glaring at me.

"I don't have time to fight with you." I sighed, "We have a problem."

"Problem?" Kaguya tilted her head.

"We might be going to war."

\----

Two days had blurred by, I hadn't slept much as my commanders and I began our investigation against the mist village. While I was busy doing this, Kaguya did make a pack with Tsunade from the leaf village, we were now allying. Kaguya was on my ass about team seven, so to shut her up I said once they were stable enough to travel, I will send one of our teams to the leaf village and they will look after the village and I remain here. I stood in the training grounds watching a new batch of students who had begun their training while I was gone.

"They are dreadful." Dawn, my second in command muttered.

"It is their first week." I reminded her.

"Yeah, but still." She grumped Dawn was a little older than I was. She had long brown hair with matching hazel eyes. She was kind but didn't let her kindness be her weakness. After the Reapers attacked us, I promoted her to my second in command.

"Maybe we should double their training." Diem commented as he popped candy in his mouth. Diem was my third in command. Just like Dawn he proved himself when we were attacked, he saved a lot of people that night. Diem was a handsome man, with his shady black hair that fell just above his eyes, he had one blue eye and one green one.

For a moment he wanted something more than our friendship as commanders. I denied it but I don't believe he has gotten over it. "Check it out." He nodded behind Dawn and me, I turned and sighed. "Why is Orion giving out tours this far out?" Diem wondered.

"I don't know." I said eating my protein bar, "I will be back." Orion was giving out a tour to team seven.

"Good luck." Diem laughed as I vanished. Orion was a different type of person. He was like a glorified butler and he liked that title. But he was so full of himself, he had short black hair and he was a germaphobe. Someone the other soldiers would freak him out by taking his hand sanitizer and pretend to cough or sneeze next to him. I will admit it was funny. I appeared a few feet away from them.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled, he looked much better than he did the last time I seen him.

"Commander!" I turned and smiled seeing a red headed girl running towards me, with a guard behind her.

"Annistyn." I called her name, seeing she was causing more trouble. She had bright red flames for hair, deep green eyes and a pale face. She jogged over towards me, I looked up at the guard. "What is the problem here?"

"That..." He huffed, out of breath. "That brat! She was vandalizing the village!" He yelled pointing at her, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Officer." I stated coldly, "She is a child, have more composer."

"Forgive me Commander!"

"I will take care of Annistyn."

"B-But-"

"Why don't you go work on your cardio?" I said shooting him a fuck off look.

"Of course, right away commander." He said and jogged away. I turned to her and gave her an annoyed look.

"What?" She defended acting innocent. "I was just tagging a wall in the ally!"

"We have been over this Annistyn." I said crossing my arms over my chest. "What is your excuse this time?" I was listening to her try and explain her lashing out but also, I could hear the small group behind me. Orion was explaining to team seven who Annistyn was.

"That is Annistyn, she just joined the academy." Orion whispered. "Four years ago, during the attack on the waterfall village, Annistyn's mother Isadora worked with the Commander, she was her second commander, but during the attack Isadora was killed. Annistyn was seven at the time, and she took the news about her mother real hard. The Commander took Annistyn under her wing and ever since then the Commander have been watching over her." I tuned out the history lesson and sighed.

"Annistyn." I said kneeling down. "Do you want to be a great fighter?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I wanna be like my mom...and like you."

"So, don't you think your time is better spent studying and practicing than harassing the guards?" She looked down then smiled.

"Yeah."

"Then you better get going." I smiled at her.

"Going where?"

"If you are going to beat me tomorrow when we practice, you should get ready."

"You mean it!?"

"Of course." She hugged me, then she let go bouncing.

"I am so going to beat you this time!" She laughs running away, she was a good kid when she wanted to be. I then vanished and reappeared beside Orion; he jumped a foot in the air.

"C-Commander!" He bowed in respect; I rolled my eyes.

"Sakura." Naruto smiled. I ignored him.

"Orion." I stated his name, making him look up at me and my glare. "Do you mind telling me what you are doing?"

"T-The leaf village ninja wanted a tour of the waterfall village and M-Miss Kaguya approved it."

"Yes, but you know not give tours this far out of the village. I have told you this before, have I not?" I asked.

"Y-Yes. But the leaf village ninja really wanted to come out here and they would not take no for an answer and... well..." I sighed and looked over at team seven.

"We were just curious Sakura." Naruto laughed, "It is not his fault."

"You three are guests in this village. If your escort says you cannot go somewhere, respect that." I glared. Naruto's smile melted from his face.

"We just wanted-"

"There is no reason to get snippy." Sasuke butted in. "It is not like it is a big deal." I turned to Sasuke. As if fate for once decided to not fuck me over, I spun around and grabbed the kunai that was heading towards Naruto. His eyes widened as he turned a shade of blue. I sighed and looked behind me.

"I-I am so sorry!" A trainee yelled and waved, I ignored her and turned back to team seven.

"I know your village lacks discipline and rules-" My voice was stern. "-But mine doesn't. I can't let you three walk around like you own the place. We have rules for a reason." I said handing Naruto the kunai that would have killed him. "Orion is not a trained fighter; he would not have been able to catch it. If I had not come by then I would have had a dead leaf village shinobi on my hands and that is a lot of paperwork." I said turning from them. "Stick to the gift shop Team Seven." I called out vanishing from them and then reappearing beside Dawn and Diem.

"What?" I asked seeing their smirking faces.

"You were nice to them." Diem said shoving more sugar into his mouth. "Any reason for that?"

"They are morons." I gave an answer looking at the trainee who lost control of her weapon, I walked over to the trainer who was shaking in his boots waiting for me to say something.

"More target practices." I motioned.

"Yes Commander!" He nodded.

The rest of the day blurred away. Since I had been gone for a while, I had a lot to catch up on. I was with Kaguya in her personal house. I was sitting at the kitchen table doing paperwork as she caught me up on what has been going on around here. She was in the other room on the phone.

"Your shinobi are just fine." I heard her say, I looked up from what I was doing. Who was she talking too? "Of course, we are sending them home soon. My medic will take one more look over them and if they are all fine, they will be sent out tomorrow morning." She paused for a long time. "Sakura is fine. She was doing paperwork last I had checked on her." I rolled my eyes and went back down to filling out the endless stream of paper. "No, she will not be returning to the leaf village, she has chosen a very good team to escort your ninja home and remain there as protection." How did so much paperwork pile up after I left?

"Of course, you cannot request Sakura to return with Team Seven." She laughed, "Because I can't have the Commander of my army stationed in another village!" Kaguya laughed harder. "Do not worry, the team being sent to you are one of our bests, you are in good hands. Now you have a good night Tsunade." Kaguya walked into the kitchen after a moment, we stared at each other for a moment.

"Why did you let so much pile up?" I asked her, she walked past me and opened the fridge. "Why didn't you delegate some of this to Dawn or Diem, that is why they are here."

"Hungry?" Kaguya ignored me.

"Depends."

"On?"

"Who is cooking?"

"Me."

"Then yes I am hungry." I smirked.

It took all night to catch up on my paperwork. The sun was bright and sunny, it was not my friend. The sky was clear and blue with warm air blowing around. I walked outside after finishing filing all the paperwork, I was watching shift change when I saw them walking out of the building. I forgot they would be leaving this morning.

Team seven was waiting for their team to meet up with them so they could all travel back to the leaf village. I waited to turn and walk away, but I continued to gaze at Kakashi who was watching Naruto goof off. Once again, his kiss flashed through my mind, causing my stomach to flutter.

"Sakura?" I turned at the sound of my name, Dawn stood behind me. "Are you going to say goodbye?" She asked me, I looked back at team seven.

"No." I answered.

"Any reason?" Dawn wondered. I knew them, it may have been years since I had seen them, but they haven't changed. Naruto would fight with me and Sasuke would make his stupid comments and Kakashi...he would gaze right through me.

"Has our unit checked in yet?" I asked never pulling my eyes from Kakashi's masked face. The waterfall village had shinobi who were placed on teams, but when teams were combined, they were relabeled units.

"Yes. That's why I am here."

"And?" I turned to looked at Dawn, she looked unsettled.

"Neil, the Kage of the Mist Village is confirmed to be dead." I quickly looked back at Dawn.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"I see." I trailed off, watching the team going with team seven come into view. By Naruto's reaction, they were not informed that I was not returning with them.

"Your orders, Sakura?"

"Get our soldiers ready." I said turning to look at Dawn's stern face. "And make sure to keep it quiet, no one needs to know we are about to attack the Mist Village."


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was high in the sky over the hidden leaf village. Fall was beginning to snip at the air, signaling summer was almost to its end. The sky was clear and bright with the suns rays. Leaves on the trees started to glow with colors of yellow and reds.

The villagers of the leaf were dressed in sweaters and scarfs to gather warmth, due to the weather change. Everyone in the village was getting ready to celebrate the chunin exams.

This was the second test of the year.

The village leaf's Hokage or leader, Tsunade had decided to not reach out to other villages to allow them to join in. With the new rogue group known as the Reapers on the rise she didn't feel it was safe enough to allow heavy traffic that the exams brought. This decision brought a lot of negative attitude from since the leaf village was going to lose a lot of business from the tourists.

Tsunade was sitting in her office, leaning back in in her chair. She had her hand on her head and she was bored. It was only a few hours away until the last part of the chunin exams took place. She had nothing to do but wait until then. The exams were being held in the large arena.

Tsunade sighed and opened the bottom drawer of her desk. She picked up a picture frame and smiled weakly at the snapshot of Sakura Haruno. Her once student, it had five month since it was discovered Sakura was alive, and commander of the waterfall village.

Tsunade did regret banishing Sakura out of the village, Tsunade leaned back in her chair. She prayed team seven could find her five years ago but instead the only thing they discovered was her bloody headband. Tsunade truly believed Sakura was killed that day, and ever since then she had been drowning in guilt. But, as the waterfall village rose to power and rumors about their commander with pink hair drifted around, Tsunade had hope that it somehow coukd be her student. Tsunade had been correct, but by the time she found Sakura five years later, Sakura had written off the leaf village and no longer called it home.

After the mission to the river village, Sakura never returned with Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi. Team Seven was in a depressed state when they returned home. After following weeks Tsunade noticed the same trait in all the members inside team seven. Naruto was not himself, he did not laugh, nor smile. Kakashi became more distance, more secluded from everyone else. Sasuke reverted to his colluded state. At the time, Tsunade just thought that they were saddened by the loss of Sakura again and in time they would bounce back because unlike last time, they knew Sakura wasn't dead.

Tsunade did not know how wrong she was.

Tsunade stood up and looked out the large window behind her desk. It was true, when Sakura returned to the leaf village, she was not the same pink haired, green eyed girl that the leaf village knew and loved. She was composed of so many different traits. At first, Tsunade did not recognize Sakura.

Her once short controlled hair had grown out long in a wild beautiful display of untrainable loose curls. The once soft green eyes had grown hard and sharp. Her light facial features twisted serious. Sakura grew up, and because of what she did Tsunade missed large chunks of Sakura's life, and for that she will never forgive herself.

Tsunade's phone started to ring, she turned and looked at her cell phone, the chunin exams were about to begin. She looked at the clock, the hours she had to play with melted in between her fingers. She sighed, wondering where the hours went. But she knew, how could she not? Tsunade spent countless hours reliving all the joyful moments she had with her beloved student. But every memory ended in the same stale picture. The Sakura Tsunade did not know would always flash into her mind making the old memories useless and she could no longer find comfort because the daughter she had come to love no longer existed. This fact was a hard reality check that Tsunade could yet not come to terms with. Tsunade answered the phone with an annoyed sigh, she didn't have time to chat on the phone!

Naruto picked up his orange jacket and slid it on as he ran out of his apartment. After losing Sakura for the second time, he finally realized how much he took her for granted, how poorly he treated her. He loved her; he loved the short haired, soft green-eyed girl that he grew up with, but he realized that the girl he loved for years no longer walked this earth. He could only find her walking inside his faded memories. Naruto sighed he did not know how to feel, he only knew one thing...his heart was held down by guilt and regret.

Naruto glanced at his reflection in the mirror, how times had changed. He may not know her anymore, but he still loved Sakura. He missed her, he took the second chance he had to get his old friend back and he blew it and that is something Naruto is having a hard time bouncing back from. Naruto sighed, as he looked at his phone one last time before leaving. Naruto collided with a hard surface as he walked into the hall.

"Sorry Sasuke." Naruto muttered, seeing his raven-haired friend.

"It's fine. Are you heading to the exams?"

"Yeah. Tsunade wants extra patrol, since the entire village will be in one place at once."

"Yeah, I am on it too." The two men walked outside together. The day Sakura walked back into their life, team seven had moved aside and tried to force Sakura to fit back inside their puzzle, but now that she was gone, they had a huge hole inside their world again. Team seven was still trying to recover from their world collapsing.

"Have you talked to Kakashi yet?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"No. He was supposed to be back this morning, but I didn't hear him come in. I know he is on patrol today though, so he should be here."

Kakashi was rarely around in the past months. Kakashi barely wrote or called or even texted the members of team seven. This worried Naruto and Sasuke, but they had no place to call him out on these strange actions, for they too had changed in their own ways.

Naruto looked up at the flow of people walking to the arena. He rolled his eyes, not wanting to be near other people, which was unlike him. He tapped Sasuke on the shoulder and Sasuke nodded at Naruto, understanding the demanding urge to move away from the villagers. Naruto and Sasuke jumped onto the roof of the arena. Just below their feet people gathered on their seats, ready and waiting for a show. Naruto and Sasuke looked over as other ninja collected on the roof as well. They were the extra patrol. Naruto looked over behind him at the familiar chakra.

"Hey stranger." Naruto said as the silver haired man walked over to stand beside them.

"Hello." Kakashi greeted his former students.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked.

"On a mission."

"Well duh." Naruto muttered, looking forward as the exams started. "Ugh, this is going to be so boring!" Naruto groaned as he rubbed his burning eyes.

"No sleep Naruto?" Kakashi asked staring blankly at his once favorite book.

"Eh." Was all Naruto could respond. The old Kakashi would give out a long lecture of how important sleep was, but this Kakashi did not say a word.

"So!" Naruto said, breaking the silence. "How is your girlfriend Kakashi?" Naruto said with a large smile.

"She is not my girlfriend." Kakashi sighed annoyed, he had been hooking up with a woman who would sneak out in the early hours. Naruto caught a few glimpses of her here and there.

"Suuure she isn't!" Naruto laughed. Naruto turned to the fight and laughed, seeing the trainee trip over his own foot. Behind team seven Iruka jumped onto the arena.

"Kakashi." He called, causing the three men to turn around.

"Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto muttered to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke wondered.

"Lady Tsunade has requested you three in her office immediately." Iruka said,

"Huh?" Naruto asked, his hands behind his head. "Shouldn't she be-" Naruto turned to see Tsunade was not inside the Hokage box like she should be.

"What's going on?" Kakashi questioned.

"I don't know, but from what I could gather a lot of villages are pissed." Iruka answered.

"From what?" Sasuke wondered," Not being allowed in our exams-"

"No." Iruka said, "The other villages understood and agreed it wasn't smart to travel between villages right now with how many sightings there had been of the Reapers."

"I see." Kakashi said, "Your here to replace us?"

"Yes."

"Alright, thanks Iruka." Kakashi said, moving to jump off the arena. Naruto and Sasuke followed as the entire run to the Hokage tower all team seven could rack their brain about was what they could have possibly done to piss people off?

They were rushed right into Tsunade's office, where they saw she was on the phone with multiple people in a conference call. They were all yelling at each other, Naruto turned to Kakashi confused.

"I will call you back!" Tsunade yelled hanging up the line. She snapped her amber eyes onto the three before her. "I need you three to be completely honest with me."

"O-Oh ok?" Naruto answered.

"What is going on?" Kakashi asked as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Have any of you had contact with Sakura?" Tsunade was straight forward to the point.

"Huh?" Naruto said not expecting her name to pop up. "Sakura? No, I haven't." Naruto turned to the others, he was going to be so mad if they had been talking to her and never told him. Team seven was finding it hard to know Sakura was alive but inside a different village.

"No." Sasuke answered. "I haven't talked to her since we last seen her at the Waterfall Village."

"Is she alright?" Kakashi asked, Tsunade narrowed her eyes onto him.

"Kakashi."

"I haven't spoken to her." Kakashi clarified.

"So, your telling your me you three spend weeks with her traveling and didn't get close enough to her to get her phone number?" Tsunade shook her head.

"Granny what is going on?" Naruto looked at Sasuke who looked just as clueless.

"The other villages are furious that is what's going on!"

"What for?"

"Because we have just been informed that Sakura had declared war against the Mist Village."

"Wh-What?" Naruto gasped.

"War?" Kakashi breathed out, Sakura's burning green orbs filled his mind.

"She led an army to the Mist Village weeks ago, and she burnt it to the ground." Tsunade's voice was grim. Kakashi and the others were shocked,

"W-What?" Naruto shook his head, "That can't be right!"

"It is." Tsunade said, sitting in her hair. "Onoki from the Stone Village traveled there himself after not hearing from them and saw the ashes of what was once the Mist Village. He then went to the Waterfall Village and demanded Sakura turn herself in so she could answer for her crimes."

"Wh..." This was too much for Naruto to comprehend!

"Sakura told Onoki that if he wanted her in handcuffs, he would have to force her into them."

"Well that sounds like her..." Naruto muttered, Sasuke nodded agreeing.

"What does this all have to do with us?" Kakashi wondered.

"Because..." Tsunade's stomach felt sick. "Onoki is gathering villages together to lead an strike against the Waterfall Village."

"What!?" Sasuke and Naruto yelled together. Kakashi just stared at Tsunade. He was brought back to the forest where he stood with that pink haired beauty. He closed his eye for a moment and thought back through the kiss they shared. He would not be a part of a strike against Sakura.

"And what did you say to this?" Kakashi questioned feeling tense.

"I told him he was insane!" Tsunade gushed, "So has every other village he has talked too. The Waterfall Village didn't give notice about going after the Mist which is why they are all pissed. But to go against Sakura is..."

"Suicide." Sasuke finished for Tsunade.

"Basically yes, that is what many people said-" Tsunade was about to explain until a large chakra presence exploded inside the leaf village. It wrapped around Naruto choking him as he struggled to breath.

"What the-" Kakashi turned, seeing it was coming from the arena. Team seven and Tsunade all bolted towards the strange force. They got into the arena in time to see a ball of wind forming in the middle of the battlefield. Team seven and Tsunade jumped down, weapons out as they waited for whatever fresh hell was about to crack open.

The wind roared and screamed and scratched at the ninjas around it, forcing team seven and the others to take steps back from the force. In a heartbeat the wind exploded and died, leaving a peaceful fragility over the arena. Naruto opened his eyes and his kunai dropped out if his hands. His heart clenched; waves of shock and excitement rolled over his body in a confusing mixture, his mouth along with everyone else's dropped open.

Standing in the circle where the chakra was collecting stood three people, all wearing the same uniform. One man was on his knee, the other man was standing, his eyes closed looking down, and then there was her. Her face was hard, her eyes closed for just a moment. She wore the uniform from the last time they seen her, the black material that wrapped around her body hugging her perfectly. The laces of thicker darker fabric wrapping around her body. Her black boots, the body armor she had on her chest and arms. The weapons bag on her leg it all came together to spit out a terrifyingly perfect fuck off look.

Sakura opened her eyes to reveal those bright blaring eyes. Naruto took in her image; it had been months since he seen her. But no one could ignore the blood or the proof of blade marks on her outfit. Her blade she held was still dripping blood. The two men beside Sakura were in the same shape as she was. Sakura Haruno looked right through Naruto, she looked around for half a second, until her eyes landed on Tsunade.

"Hokage." She called out; power laced through each letter causing the people around her to shiver. Tsunade, along with everyone else was star struck.

"Sakura?" She said drinking in her image, Tsunade had so many questions! Before any more words could be exchanged, in a huff of smoke five other Waterfall Village teams consisting of four appeared. Tsunade looked around, then back to Sakura.

"You need to evacuate your village." Sakura stated with a stone face.

"W-What?" Tsunade looked into Sakura's eyes, searching for the person she loved, she found no traces of her.

"I didn't stutter." Sakura spat, she looked around at the people who leaned on her, then back to Tsunade. " You need to put everyone in the tunnels under this village. Now."

"How do you know about the tunnels?" Tsunade asked, Tsunade did not build the tunnels that were under the leaf village until after Sakura was gone.

"You made a pact with the Waterfall Village." One of the men spoke up, his name was Carver Bryson. Carver was a tall man, built to fight. He had jet black hair that fell into his eyes that matched his hair. He turned looking at the hokage with the same sharpen ice over stare that Sakura held. "We protect our own." He said glaring, "We do not have much time." He explained, Tsunade blushed at how calm and cool he appeared to be.

"Who is coming?" Kakashi asked, stepping beside Tsunade not fazed by Carver's appearance.

"We do not know what they are." The third man Raiden Peyton stood holding his injured arm. Raiden held blond hair in the same style as his comrade. "We know they are not human." He said with a glare at Kakashi. Sakura moved her eyes to look at her comrades. Gathering chakra Sakura had it flow out of her body and wrap around her comrades, healing them. Tsunade's mouth dropped open, not even she could do that. How could Sakura? Sakura turned to Tsunade out of patients.

"Tsunade." Sakura spoke up. "My soldiers will not make a move without your permission. Make up your mind now, or everyone in your village will die." Tsunade looked at the pink haired woman standing in front of her. She may not know who Sakura was anymore, but she knew one thing about her, she was no liar and she did protect her own. If she was here, then something must be coming, Tsunade then nodded. Sakura moved without a second wasted.

"Teams four, five, and six round up the villagers, get them into the tunnels now!" She called out; the two teams vanished without a heartbeat in between Sakura's words. "Seven and ten, get ready." Sakura stated glaring at them, she walked over towards one boy he was walking past Hinata and he dropped a kunai. She walked over and grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. "Nothing gets through." She demanded.

"Yes Commander!"

"I better see your dead body before I see anything get through, understand!?"

"Yes Commander." Team Ten started to disperse but before he could run away, Sakura called his name out.

"Talon!" He stopped and looked into her death glare.

"If anything gets through and you are still alive." Her voice was ice, "I will kill you myself."

"Yes Commander."

"Why are you still here?" Sakura spat. After he vanished, she turned back to Tsunade.

"Get your ninja into the tunnels as well."

"What?" Tsunade asked shocked.

"You heard me."

"Sakura, you have five teams here to de-"

"Five is all I need." Sakura said her eyes were like knives, cutting every person she looked at.

"We will stay!" Naruto said raising his hand, the rest of team seven agreed, so did Teams ten, eight, team guy and two others that Sakura did not care enough to remember where they belonged. Tsunade even said she was not retreating, the ANBU even collecting around them.

"Villagers are in the tunnels." One of Sakura's soldiers called through their earpiece.

"Get to the village walls and be ready." Sakura ordered.

"Protect the leaf villagers, that is why we are here." Carver said through the line.

"Don't die." Raiden joked, Sakura just shook her head.

"What?" Raiden laughed, "I thought it was funny." He muttered looking around. Naruto tilted his head, he knew them. Where did he know them from?

"You are from the picture." He said out loud, not thinking. The two guys looked over at Naruto.

"What?" Raiden asked who was crouching down, resting his legs.

"You're from Sakura's picture!" Naruto knew that was where he seen them!

"Sakura-" Carver turned his head, "-do you have pictures of us?" He teased. "Are they naughty?"

"No-No! They weren't anything like that!" Naruto blushed. "It was a picture of like nine people...so maybe I am wrong and you're not-"

"Oh yeah." Raiden thought for a moment, knowing the picture Naruto was talking about. "You're talking about our team picture."

"Huh?" Carver tilted his head. "You still have that thing?" Carver called to Sakura who was ignoring them; a cold feeling wrapped around her spin. She looked up into the distant. Something felt off.

"You were her team." Naruto recalled.

"Bingo." Raiden flashed a smirk. "You're looking at the remaining members of The Nine."

"Her team?" TenTen muttered, looking at Neji who shrugged having no idea what was going on. Raiden reached up stretching his sore arms,

"Man, I hope this wave isn't bad like the others."

"Others?" Guy asked.

"What?" Carver asked with a laugh, "Did you really think you guys were the only village we have been to today?"

"Who else has been attacked?" Iruka asked.

"Three others, you guys are number four."

Sakura and Raiden jumped apart quickly, moving out of the way of the thing that was ordered to kill them. The creatures arm got stuck in the dirt. There stood a human figure, but it was far from human. Sakura was not even sure if it was alive. Its body was all black, its arms were sharpened into swords. It did not hold a face, just a mouth which held sharp teeth, designed to rip someone's throat out. Its chest and front face were white. And each of these things never slowed down, never stopped moving and each held its own intense chakra supply. They were hard to kill, once you killed it, they explode. They were almost mimic of the clones Sakura created years ago.

"They are here!" Carver called through the line, warning the other soldiers. Sakura wasted no time; she blocked the creatures attack. It was just as fast as she was but Sakura was smarter. She jumped behind it and stabbed in through its chest. A thick black substance leaked out of it. Sakura covered it with a dome as it exploded. The three members of the nine jumped onto the roof of the arena. Once the two men looked up and saw the thin black line growing quickly from the distance, they nodded back at her, knowing the attack has started. Sakura and the other two released a strong wave of chakra, attracting most of the creatures towards them. They seemed to be drawn to high amounts of chakra.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" Raiden laughed getting pumped up, Sakura rolled her eyes. She and the nine created quick hand signals, Kakashi could not read what they had done. Around each leaf villager a red dome covered them, protecting them from what was about to come.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled hitting the dome with his fists. The leaf shinobi were ignored, Sakura gripped her sword leaping forward off the arena wall.

A large black wave which was made up of thousands of these unknown creatures crashed through the leaf village. The leaf village ninja watched in horror has hundreds of those creatures poured into the arena like a black infected waterfall. Sakura and the remaining members of the nine with a hand full of waterfall soldiers were the only things that could possibly stop them. They had to be the wall that those creatures could not climb.

\----

Naruto was looking around through the red dome he was trapped in. Those creatures banged and scratched and tried to force themselves into the dome. His mouth hung open. What were these things? Naruto didn't know much time had passed but it felt like hours and no one from the waterfall village had appeared. The domes were still up so that must mean Sakura was alive right? Naruto could not believe that she was fighting these things. He just looked around in awe.

Sasuke glared at the creatures that were just a foot away. He was confused and annoyed, as his eyes glowed red he could not read their movements. He could not understand why. It was as if these creatures did not know what their next move would be until the second they made it. How was this possible?

Tsunade was watching the creatures, she noticed they had no pattern, no direction. What were these things? She noticed the flood of creatures was starting to thin out, inside of seeing nothing but black, little spots of space would appear now and then, signaling that the number of creatures were going down. Kakashi and the others looked up as the sky clouded over and thunder rolled over the land. Kakashi looked at the creatures all around him. If the members from the nine failed, everyone inside these domes are as good as dead.

Rain poured down from the dark sky, her pink hair grew damp from the sticky water. She looked around along with the other members from the waterfall village, waiting for the whip lash, waiting for the extra creatures who fell behind, they waited for anything, for everything that could be thrown their way. They all stood around the gate looking out, waiting.

"It looks clear." Carver muttered cautiously not wanting to jinx himself like he had done inside the river village, right when these words left his mouth a new wave of creatures appeared.

"You have been wrong before." Raiden reminded.

"No, I think we are in the clear." Sakura said turning towards them. It was dark now, the Waterfall soldiers were hungry and tired.

"We better let those ninja out of those domes or they are going to be pissed." Carver said looking at the pink haired woman who was glaring off into the distance.

"Or we could shake them like a snow globe." Raiden grinned lighting pushing Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura?" Carver questioned seeing her gazing into the distance.

"Hm?" She asked looking over at her teammates.

"You ok?"

"Yeah."

"What is on your mind?" Raiden smiled.

"You know what."

"Yeah..." Raiden sighed. "Why the hell attack these villages?"

"I understand the Sand and River Villages, I could even accept the Lighting Village but the Leaf?" Carver said turning around to view the village behind him. "They have nothing of value."

"Yeah..." Raiden sighed.

"Who created them?" Sakura added.

"Oh yeah..."

"Someone who has a lot of juice to burn." Carver said

"Is this why the Reapers have been quiet?" Raiden asked standing. So many questions and no answers makes Sakura an agitated commander.

"You are right, we should probably let the leaf shinobi out." Sakura agreed.

"I wonder how many of those things can be created in a setting?" Raiden thought out loud as he followed Sakura through the leaf village. "It has to take time with how much chakra those things had. What if another wave hits?"

"I don't know." Sakura had a headache, and her team wasn't helping with it.

"We barely can handle those things." Carver yawned. "I don't think the leaf shinobi can really stand a chance." Sakura didn't respond, she just led them to the arena where a majority of the leaf ninja were stuck.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled banging on the dome, his voice muffled. Naruto was excited to see Sakura; it had been months since he had any contact with her and then she reappears blowing into the leaf village.

Naruto's heart was beating so fast as he watched Sakura speak but he couldn't hear her. The leaf ninja inside the red domes all had their eyes glued on Commander Haruno, so many questions swirled around her making them so intrigued by her presence. As Sakura released the domes, shattering them around the leaf shinobi each person was met with a flood of water drenching them from the pouring sky.

"What were those things!?" Tsunade asked jogging towards Sakura.

"We do not know yet." Sakura answered.

"What?!" Tsunade yelled, "What am I supposed to tell the villagers when I let them out!?" Tsunade asked herself pulling her hands to her head freaking out internally.

"You are going to tell your citizens that everything is under control, that the creatures are gone, that everything is going to be ok." Sakura told Tsunade, her voice was confidant and so stable. They were words people could lean on for support, which was what Tsunade did. She nodded agreeing with Sakura, Tsunade then turned to the leaf ninja.

"Not a word to anyone, not even your loved ones until we figure this out!" Every ninja in the arena nodded at their new order. Kakashi watched as Sakura vanished from the area, Kakashi's eye widened as he took a step forward wishing to go after her. Carver spoke up explaining that at each village they had been to, Sakura left behind a handful of people to watch over the village in case more creatures appeared.

"Are you going to be the ones to stay here?" Naruto asked, hope blooming throughout his body. Carver sighed feeling annoyed.

"Yeah." He dragged,

"Wait, really?!" Tsunade perked up.

"In the morning our remaining teams at the Waterfall Village will set out to our other allied villages to stand by in case those things come back, we don't have any more manpower to spare to give to your village. You guys were the last to get hit, so you're stuck with us." Carver shrugged.

"I see..." Tsunade locked eyes with Kakashi, Sakura was going to be around here for a bit. She was so excited! "I want answers!" Tsunade demanded, poking Carver's chest with her finger. Carver just chuckled at Tsunade's face.

"I figured, how about we get some place dry first eh?"

"Where did Sakura go?" Naruto wondered, pouting because she wasn't near.

"Checking on the other teams." Raiden yawned, getting rainwater in his mouth causing him to scrunch his face and spit it out.

"How about you two head over to Sakura's apartment?" Tsunade asked. Carver and Raiden glanced at each other.

"She...uh...she has an apartment here?"

"Well, it isn't really hers. I lent it to her while she was here last time and it is still empty so you guys can use it again if you like?" Tsunade blushed laughing nervously at the two handsome men.

"That...sounds...great?" Raiden didn't know how to feel, he just knew he was cold and hungry.

"How about we meet up in your office in an hour?" Carver talked to Tsunade, "Gives us a chance to change and go meet over with Sakura and see what she is doing."

"Sounds good." Tsunade smiled, she watched Carver and Raiden turn and leave the arena. Guy and Kakashi walked over to stand beside Tsunade as they watched the two strangers vanish.

"Are we trusting them?" Guy wondered.

"Not by a long shot." Tsunade narrowed her eyes in the direction Carver and Raiden had left to go find Sakura. Tsunade excused the leaf shinobi as she, team seven, Guy and Iruka made their way to the Hokage tower, there Kurenai and Shizune were waiting for them.

"You agreed to what?" Sakura sighed as she looked away from the hotel door closing.

"A meeting." Carver repeated, Sakura had set up her waterfall soldiers in hotels for the night. They were tired from the constant battles and in need to rest as did Sakura. She was not in the mood to deal with the leaf ninja, "They want answers-"

"And I want to sleep." Sakura snapped, turning to look at Carver. "Why did you agree to this?" The rain had let up, but it remained sprinkling.

"I thought this is what you would have wanted?" Carver felt confused as he watched Sakura walk away, the three walked in silence as they made their way to the Hokage tower. Sakura walked to the conference room they were pointed to and instantly all conversation died, and all eyes were on her. She groaned internally, moving to sit down in the closest chair. The two chairs beside her were empty as Raiden plopped down beside her Carver took the lead.

"Hold on!" Tsunade who sat at the end of the table stood, "First things first-"

"Er..." Carver glanced at Sakura who was leaning back in her chair, feet up on the empty seat beside her as she was on her phone. Sakura shrugged offering zero help. "...Ok?" Carver turned to Tsunade.

"Is it true?" Tsunade's voice darkened.

"Is what true?" Carver needed more than just that. "A lot of things are true." Carver said pinching the bridge of his nose, he now understood why Sakura did not want to do this.

"Sakura did you...did you attack the Mist Village?" Tsunade's voice was tight as she begged Sakura with her eyes to tell her no, to even lie!

"Yes." Sakura said not looking up from her phone. Tsunade gasped as the leaf shinobi in the room looked around at each other, not knowing how to feel about this information.

"You-You..." Tsunade shook her head. "You mean they left you no choice right?"

"Hm, no." Sakura answered but never looked up. "I took them by surprise, they didn't really stand a chance." Heavy silence floated around the room; Sakura didn't question it because she enjoyed it.

"You attacked-"

"What the hell Sakura!?" Naruto flew to his feet, refusing to believe what he just heard. "You disappear when we got to the Waterfall Village, you did not come home with us. You didn't even tell us you weren't coming we had to find out right before we left! Do you have any idea how much that hurt!?" Naruto yelled, pouring his heart out in front of everyone inside the room.

"Mhm." Sakura hummed in response, Naruto felt his blood start to boil.

"Will you get off that damn phone!?" Naruto snapped. Sakura glanced over and saw a flushed Naruto. She sighed, pulling her legs off the chair rising to her feet.

"This meeting is over." Sakura announced.

"What?" Naruto breathed, feeling hurt by Sakura's coldness. "N-No it's not! You owe us an explanation-" Sakura spun on her heel to face the room.

"I don't owe you a Goddamn thing." Sakura spat. "You're not the one coming to the rescue, I am. I didn't sign up for this meeting and I would not have approved it-"

"Why!?" Naruto cut in, shaking his head. He didn't understand why she was so standoffish!

"Because I just had to defend four fucking villages from being turned into dust!" Sakura glared into Naruto. "I am a little tired, instead of thinking about yourselves why don't you look at them-" Sakura pointed to Carver and Raiden. "-Thank these strangers for risking their lives to protect you and realized they must be pretty damn tired."

"Sakura...I..." Naruto looked towards the table, feeling guilty.

"And as for the Mist Village, why the hell is that even being brought up?" Sakura demanded.

"Eh?!" Tsunade gasped. "What do you mean why is it being brought up?! You burnt an entire village to the ground! Did you think that-"

"What?" Sakura shook her head. "The Mist Village is fine."

"Huh?" Tsunade scratched her head.

"I mean-" Raiden stretched back in his seat. "-we did burn a village to the ground, but it wasn't the Mist Village."

"I...I am so very confused." Tsunade lowered to her seat.

"Let me guess..." Carver said looking at Sakura, "The Stone Village called you up?"

"Uh, yes?" Tsunade answered, "This morning." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"The reason-" Sakura started, "-I wasn't able to see you off Team Seven is because that was the day I found out that Neil of the Mist was murdered by his brother, you remember that charming man Jago, yes?"

"He killed his own brother?" Sauske asked.

"Yes." Sakura answered, "Sound familiar?" Sasuke was taken back by Sakura's comment who moved past it and looked back at the group. "Jago has been in bed with the Reapers for some time, he killed his brother about a year ago and hid it from the Mist Village. Jago then used the Mist Village as a base camp for the Reapers, who had been tormenting the towns people, I noticed the same masks Jago used to try and invade the Waterfall Village and well...when you put it all together, it was an invitation inviting me."

"We didn't burn the Mist Village to the ground." Carver added on, "We freed them from the Reapers control. They have most of our soldier's inside their village which is why we are so short on staff right now."

"Then why would Onoki-"

"Because he is a moron." Sakura cut in. "And I have reasons to believe he is being played by the Reapers himself, but he is too much of an idiot to notice. When I tried to confront him, he called me a murder and demanded I turn myself over to his village." Sakura rolled her eyes. "And I know he is trying to gather up enough people to organize an attack on the Waterfall Village." Sakura looked into Tsunade's eyes. "He tell you that too?" Kakashi looked at Tsunade,

"Yes." Tsunade cleared her throat. "But I said the Leaf Village would have no part in it."

"Hm." Sakura looked back at the two men behind her. "Well since you are caught up-"

"How are we caught up?" Kurenai spoke up, leaning to the left onto Kakashi's arm.

"I don't think we can break it down anymore for you..." Raiden spun in his chair staring up at the wall. "The Reapers are the bad guys; we are the good guys. We saved your village; we are very tired and want to go to bed. Meeting over!" Raiden bounced up. Sakura was studying Kakashi and his reaction to Kurenai, their kiss in the forest months ago which echoed around her head a lot much to her annoyance.

"Yes." Carver said but looked back into Tsunade's amber eyes. "Don't take our casual demeanor lightly Hokage." He said. "If there is ever one thing you need to know it is that the Reapers love to kill, it is their sick little thrill that they get off on. If you believe you are winning, and you have the upper hand then you are about to die because that is how they play. For the safety of your village and your shinobi learn from our mistakes and take our advice."

"I understand." Tsunade nodded, "We will not take this information lightly like the last time Sakura was here." Kakashi smirked, seeing an annoyed expression blossom on her face as she recalled her time training the leaf shinobi.

"You believe there will be another hit on us?" Guy asked, this was one of the rare times he was serious and not offing off.

"We don't know." Carver sighed, "It is possible, which is why we are going to stay around here for a week or two."

"Will the second attack be as bad as this one tonight?" Kurenai questioned.

"We don't know what it takes to make those creatures. We can't be sure."

"Is there anything you do know?" Asuma grunted, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well..." Carver looked over to Sakura and then to Raiden. "...we do know that whatever may get sent this way, we will protect you all."

"Why?" Kurenai sat up in her chair after Kakashi had moved away, causing question to float inside Kurenai's mind. "Why go through all of this for us?"

"Because you're our ally-" Carver shrugged. "-and we protect our own." Kurenai blushed quickly looking anywhere except Carver.

"Ok bye!" Tsunade looked up and did a double take, seeing Sakura was already gone, Raiden was following her, and Carver was moving to leave the room.

"B-But-"

"Relax." Carver looked over his shoulder as his eyes glowed with a trace of mischief, almost like Sakura's did. "You'll see us in the morning." Carver smirked walking out of the conference room, leaving the leaf village alone with their circling thoughts.

\----

The sun rose over the leaf village and began to fall in the sky when Sakura decided to awake for the day. She yawned rubbing her face as she sat in the bed inside the same apartment Tsunade allowed her to use. Sakura opened her eyes, seeing Carver beside her who was still asleep. She pulled herself out of bed and into the living room where Raiden was snoring on the couch. She ignored her phone on the coffee table as she moved to the kitchen. There was not much inside the apartment since it has been empty for a few months but thank the Lord there was coffee!

Sakura leaned against the sink half asleep waiting for the coffee to brew. Sadly, there was no cream or sugar, so she was going to have to basically drink hot bean juice. Sakura didn't care, whatever worked so she didn't end up killing someone. The coffee pot was halfway done as she stared at it, willing it to go faster when a knock on her door sounded. Sakura stared at the door, she looked back at the pot then to the door.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice had Sakura moving towards the bedroom. Nope, she was not dealing with him this early. "We have food!" Naruto yelled through the door stopping Sakura in her tracks. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of eating something other than protein bars as she glared at the door for a long second. She huffed walking over to the wooden door allowing herself to be bribed. Fucking team seven stood outside her door, Naruto had bags in his hand looking at the door next to her as Sasuke yelled something from his apartment. Kakashi's heart almost stopped seeing Sakura open the door, after all these months of staring at this door longing for her to randomly walk out of it...here she was. "Oh!" Naruto noticed the door was open with a very tired looking Haruno staring at him as she leaned against the door frame. "She is awake!" Naruto called, "Hi Sakura!"

"Your very loud." Sakura groaned, walking back into the apartment but leaving the front door open. Sasuke quickly ran out of his apartment and into Sakura's, closing the front door as everyone made their way inside. He looked around seeing bags thrown on the floor and a snoring Raiden drooling on the couch, he almost reminded Sasuke of Naruto.

"We brought you some stuff we thought you might need." Naruto blushed, walking into the kitchen with Sakura, who went back to leaning against the sink waiting for the coffee pot. Sakura felt sore, like she had just run a marathon. Sakura turned, seeing Naruto had been talking this entire time but she didn't catch what he had been saying. "Here." Naruto smiled, holding French vanilla creamer out for Sakura to take. "It's still your favorite right?"

"Yeah..." Sakura's brain wasn't awake yet.

"Oh! Also, we got you shampoo and stuff like that. We didn't know if you were going to need it or not."

"Why?" Sakura asked slowly pulling a light blue coffee mug out of the cabinet.

"Hinata helped me pick it out for you."

"Oh, did she now?" Sakura glanced over, seeing Naruto smile.

"Yeah! She is nice. She says hi!" Naruto babbled, Kakashi leaned against the small island which had three stools placed at them. He watched Sakura and realized something wasn't quite right with her.

"What the fuck?" Carver's sleepy voice had Naruto and Sasuke turning around. Naruto's mouth dropped open, seeing Carver wearing baggy pajama bottoms which rose a little too low for Naruto's comfort and Carver did not have a shirt on sporting off his fit body. "Why is like a zoo so early in here?" Carver looked around.

"It's like one in the afternoon." Sasuke said, walking up and taking a seat on one of the bar stools. Sasuke studied Carver, he seemed so relaxed being half naked in a room full of strangers.

Sasuke looked over, his eyes widened finally noticing Sakura's outfit choice. She had a simple tank top and shorts on, but her tank top hugged every curve perfectly and her long legs were exposed. Sasuke did not remember Sakura having such a large bust before she was banished. He was having a hard time not looking directly at Sakura's chest.

Sakura has always had on baggy shirts or her uniform which hid this lovely surprise from Sasuke who shifted on the bar stool, feeling his pants tightening. Sakura made herself a cup of coffee as Carver talked to team seven, questioning the reason they were here.

"You just brought us stuff?" Carver asked feeling skeptical as Sakura handed him a hot mug of coffee.

"Yes." Naruto repeated.

"Why?" Carver asked slowly, watching Naruto's odd behavior.

"Because well..." Naruto blushing, rubbing the back of his neck. "What you said last night Sakura really stuck with me..."

"I said something last night?" Sakura asked, turning to Naruto who has always been so over dramatic, looking like he just had an arrow shot through him.

"You said that stuff!" Naruto pointed at Sakura,

"I say a lot of stuff." Sakura placed the coffee mug down not recalling what Naruto was talking about.

"About how we should be more grateful and... stuff." Naruto muttered looking away blushing as he began to feel hot.

"Mm." Sakura hummed a response. Kakashi was casually watching Carver interact with Sakura. The two of them looked so comfortable...was there something between the two of them?

"So why are you still here?" Carver wondered, sipping his coffee.

"H-Huh!?" Naruto gearing up.

"I heard Tsunade talking about a training course?" Kakashi changed the subject, gazing down at Sakura taking the opportunity to gaze at her body.

"Not me." Sakura said, gesturing to Carver. "That's their thing."

"Oh?" Kakashi looked at Carver who shrugged.

"Might as well do something while we are stuck here, and what else is there to do but whip you guys into shape?" Carver winked, smirking at Kakashi.

"Eh!?" Naruto was getting overly excited. "Do-Don't do that!"

"Hm? Do what?" Carver wondered.

"Wink-"

"Why?" Carver asked, placing a hand on the wall next to Naruto's head. "You don't want me winking at other people?"

"I-I-I don't want you winking at anyone!"

"Only you?" Carver teased.

"NO!" Naruto was beat red.

"Carver." Sakura called, "You're going to break him."

"I'll be gentle." Carver responded causing Sakura to roll her eyes, that isn't how she meant it.

"Go put a shirt on!" Naruto yelled, backing away from Carver.

"Hm? Why should I?"

"Because it is rude to be so indecent in front of people!" Naruto used his logic.

"We are all men here-"

"Not Sakura!" Naruto pointed who calmly sipped her mug.

"This isn't anything she hasn't seen before." Carver smirked at how red Naruto was turning.

"Wh-What!?" Naruto steamed. Kakashi looked over at Sakura, waiting for her to clarify what Carver had meant by his comment.

"Don't kill each other." Sakura said walking past them.

"Sakura?! Where are you going!?" Naruto called, not wanting to be left out here with Carver without her supervision.

"I'm taking a shower." Sakura said moving into the bedroom where the bathroom was, a terrible place for a bathroom.

"Do you want me to join you?" Carver called, loving the way team seven reacted when it came to Sakura. "We can save water, again." Sakura stopped in the door frame and shot an annoyed glare at Carver who laughed, raising his hands "Alright, space I get it." Sakura turned and moved to the bathroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Carver and Raiden stood in the arena of the leaf village as Sakura watched them retrain a large portion of the leaf village shinobi. Sakura stood off to the side leaning against the wall as she took another drink from her water bottle. Tsunade and Kakashi were inside the Kokage's box, where the Hokage would sit and watch the exams take place.

"Should we go talk to her?" Tsunade asked more to herself. Kakashi stood beside Tsunade with his hands in his pockets. He really wanted to talk to Sakura, he never got a chance to speak to her after that night in the forest. She was whipped away from him before he could explain his actions for randomly kissing her like he did. He let out a deep sigh, maybe he read the signs between them wrong. Sakura did kiss him back so maybe Sakura was just really busy. "I can't believe Onoki would exacerbate what happened with the Mist Village the way he did." Tsunade huffed annoyed.

"We should have expected it." Kakashi replied, "We know him and how he can be."

"As true as that may be, to try and spark up tension between villages though..."

"Onoki is not a favorite among the village leaders." Kakashi reminded.

"And to try and lead an assault against the Waterfall Village-" Tsunade shook her head.

"The other villages didn't go for it though." Kakashi tried to calm Tsunade, seeing anger leaking onto her face.

"True. Kakashi-" Tsunade called pulling his attention from Sakura and onto her.

"Hm?"

"Did you know, no one knows where the Reaper came from?"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi questioned.

"I was talking to the other village leaders and asked them about what they knew about Sakura."

"What did they have to say?"

"They didn't know who I was talking about at first."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it wasn't until I brought up her last name that it finally clicked with them. They only know Sakura as the Reaper or Commander Haruno."

"Interesting." Kakashi muttered, "I wonder why that is."

"Apparently Sakura is not a very approachable person." Tsunade stood from her seat and walked over to where Kakashi stood. "The only time anyone sees her is when it comes time to fight, and everyone I spoke to only had war stories about her."

"War stories?" Kakashi wanted clarification on this.

"Yes, she has been a busy bee these past few years. Every village I spoke to hold her in high regards. Every time there is an issue, she is the one to respond to the threat and that is the only time she is ever seen. There isn't any of this-" Tsunade gestured to Sakura leaning against the arena wall watching Raiden and Carver. "-She is in and out and that is it. She is known to be cold and withdrawn."

"It doesn't sound like we are talking about the same person here." Kakashi said.

"That is why I was so confused." Tsunade sighed, "The things I heard Kakashi..." Tsunade trailed off rubbing her arm.

"What do you mean?"

"The stories I was told about her they..." Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment. "...they scared me Kakashi. The Reaper they spoke about was a war machine and but when I look at her, I don't see that."

"She is different when she is here." Kakashi realized.

"That is what I was thinking." Tsunade agreed. "Maybe she doesn't hate us as much as she believes she does. But..."

"But?"

"No one knows where the Reaper comes from."

"I am not following you?"

"When the Waterfall Village rose to power, it was because of Sakura that has been made perfectly clear to me now and that is when she became a presence in the world. But before that no one knows where she came from."

"Did you tell anyone she was born here?" Kakashi wondered.

"No... I figured she kept the fact she is from here a secret for a good reason."

"Maybe." Kakashi sighed, he couldn't read Sakura or tell what she was thinking. She was like an unreadable title wave that threatens to drown him, and what scared him the most is the fact he wanted to be drowned by her. From the corner of Kakashi's eye he could see a team belonging to the waterfall village come running into view. They quickly dropped to one knee once they reached Sakura, they held such respect for her...Kakashi narrowed his eye, no that was not respect they showed, it was fear. Knowing this Kakashi only became more intrigued by the mystery showering Sakura Haruno. Tsunade sighed, seeing Sakura pull Carver and Raiden from their training as they vanished jumping over the arena's wall. Kakashi and Tsunade glanced at each other, both confused as the leaf shinobi all glanced at each other.

The waterfall soldier's ran through the leaf village, jumping over the wall with ease as their feet hit the forest floor they sped off. They ran a few miles until Sakura came to a halt, kicking dust up around her feet. There, laying on the ground before them where a handful of those strange creatures that they had been waiting for. Sakura tilted her head as she studied the unmoving creatures. They looked different...they had misshapen heads, a few were missing different parts of their bodies. As the group walked carefully through the forest, they came upon more and more of the malformed beings.

"It's a second wave." Carver was the first to speak as he looked around.

"They look half assed." Raiden commented, kicking one with his foot.

"Looks like the Reapers sped up production." Carver said after walking another mile, it was clear these creatures were on their way to the leaf village as a second wave.

"I wonder why they died?" Raiden bent down getting a closer look at one.

"Who knows?" Raiden yawned. "Could be since they were rushed, they ran out of chakra or maybe these things have a shelf life?"

"They didn't before." Raiden stood.

"Well, that we didn't know about." Carver replied, "We always killed them, we never left one alive to study them."

"Commander!" Sakura turn at the sound of her name. She moved in the direction of the voice, walking a few yards Sakura saw the team that had come got her after discovering this mess. Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair seeing a dead human body beside her soldier's feet.

"Fuck." Carver cursed, seeing two more bodies not far from the first one found. They looked like they were attacked by a wild animal, their bodies were all torn apart barely holding together.

"Did you know about another team coming here?" Raiden turned to Sakura,

"No." She answered, "Where is the last member?" Sakura rubbed her tired face.

"No idea." Carver stood from crouching down, "Hopefully they are not too far."

"Fan out!" Sakura called at the team who stood around staring at her. Did she really need to hold their fucking hand? After ten minutes of searching, the fourth member of the deceased team was found.

"She's alive!" A soldier gasped; Sakura pushed the soldier out of the way as she quickly began first aid to the soldier who laid beside a tree staring up towards the sky.

"Hey." Sakura called, trying to snap a reaction of the girl who was in shock. Carver looked at the three creatures who laid near the girl,

"Your team stopped the second wave." He realized, looking over to the girl and locked eyes with Sakura.

"Co-Commander." The girl gargled out.

"I'm here." Sakura said, "You're going to be fine."

"We-We tried." The girl breathed out. "They were-were so fast."

"Stop talking." Sakura ordered, "Save your strength-"

"My team." Tears formed in the girl's eyes. "Those things tore-tore them apart." Sakura looked at the soldier's torso, there was a gaping hole in her stomach that Sakura was trying to apply pressure to as she pumped chakra into her trying to slow the bleeding.

"I know, but you're going to be alright." Sakura said, "I am going to-"

"Commander..." The girl's eyes slowly began to close as she was bleeding out under a large oak tree.

"Hey!" Sakura yelled, quickly getting up and performing CPR on the girl's chest. Sakura sighed after four minutes she stopped, her hands and arms coated in a thin layer of the girl's blood. Sakura looked away for a moment reminding herself chakra can only do so much as more hatred for the Reapers grew in her heart.

"Hey." Carver placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "This isn't on you."

"When I find out who sent them, I am going to put them in their grave myself." Sakura spat standing up, if she had known a team was on their way here, she could have been watching out for them, she could have helped them take this wave down. If she had just known they could still be alive right now!

"Go get some stretchers." Raiden ordered the team who were standing around, looking at the team who had just fallen. Hearing Raiden they nodded, quickly turning and running towards the village. "You ok?" Raiden questioned Sakura,

"Fine." Sakura's voice was stale as she stared down at the girl she could not save. She knew this girl, she trained her from day one. This girl had a family, a husband and two kids who were sitting back at the waterfall village who were waiting for her to come home. She was a good soldier, she loved her village and she did not deserve to die this way.

The waterfall village team returned with another team as they began to pick up the bodies, placing them in bodies bags and getting them ready to transport them to the arena so Sakura can transport them to the waterfall village through the seal which was placed there. Sakura can place a seal in locations such as the leaf village and the waterfall village and she can transport herself and others through the seals like they were doors. This was a new technique Sakura had developed in the months she was away from the leaf village.

As Sakura led the two teams with Carver and Raiden following through the village it drew a lot of attention from by standards. Many people became curious and gathered inside the stands of the arena trying to peek at what was happening. Tsunade had joined the gossip as she walked onto the ground of the arena, she stood beside Kakashi who was with a small group of leaf ninja. They all watched Sakura come into view, the two teams behind her carrying the deceased bodies. Tsunade and Kakashi looked at each other concerned. Tsunade moved forward, getting dangerously close to Sakura who was fuming.

"Sakura!?" Tsunade called seeing the blood painted on her arms, "What happened!?" Tsunade watched as the waterfall soldiers placed the bodies down in a circle which began to glow in the middle of the arena.

"There was a second wave like we thought there would be." Sakura answered, not looking at Tsunade as Sakura waited for her two teams to finish what they were doing and get out of the way.

"What happened to-"

"What do you think happened?" Sakura snapped turning to glare into Tsunade, Sakura glanced past Tsunade and saw the audience behind her, it sickened Sakura that Tsunade would allow this.

"Four of my soldiers died today, protecting your fucking village" Sakura's eyes glowed with a rage Tsunade had never seen before. "So, knowing that fact I would appreciate it if you wouldn't display my fallen soldiers for your entire fucking villages viewing pleasure!'

"Your right, I should-"

"Remove them." Sakura's voice was drenched in venom, "Before I do it for you."

"Ri-Right!" Tsunade quickly spun, "Everyone out!" Tsunade yelled, for a moment the leaf ninja glanced at each other, really wondering if they had to leave or not. It wasn't until Sakura turned back around with her emerald eyes glowing with a dangerous amount of anger that sent shivers down people's back did they all quickly clear out; except for team seven.

"Sakura, I am so sorry I should have put up a-"

"What?" Sakura didn't understand why Tsunade was stuttering, Sakura didn't remember Tsunade being this soft, she certainly didn't remember Tsunade being this timid when she banished Sakura from the village.

"Huh?" Tsunade tilted her head with wide eyes.

"Why do you look like I just kicked your puppy?" Sakura called Tsunade out.

"I-I"

"What is going on with you?"

"I don't know what you mean?"

"I don't remember you ever being this soft."

"I am not-"

"I just ordered you around in front of a large number of your shinobi." Sakura pointed out, "I will be damned before I allow someone to order me around in my own village especially in front of my shinobi."

"Well you just had one of your teams-"

"People die every day Tsunade, most of them-" Sakura turned back to see the bodies. "-most of them didn't have the time to die and didn't deserve it. But if you haven't noticed, we are in war and you need to start acting like it." Sakura turned and walked away, moving towards the middle of the arena. "And don't you ever try to use the deaths of my shinobi again to try and cover up your softness, I will never let that fly."

"I wasn't using them as a...shit." Tsunade sighed, Sakura stood in the middle of the four fallen soldiers, she turned to Carver and Raiden.

"You know what to do." Sakura said, the two men nodded.

"You have got nothing to worry about on this end." Carver promised as Raiden waved, wind began to pick up circling around Sakura.

"Wait!" Naruto yelled, running past Tsunade. "Sakura!" Naruto lost sight on her as the wind spun around Sakura in a perfect sphere as it screamed in Naruto's ears. Once the pressure was gone, Naruto opened his eyes and quickly looked up, his heart dropped. Commander Haruno was once again gone.

"Ugh!" Naruto groaned, how long was it going to be until he saw her again this time? Weeks? Months? Longer!?

"Calm down." Carver rolled his eyes, walking towards the exit. "She will be back."

"When!?" Naruto yelled after the two men.

"Why are you being so loud?" Raiden asked glancing back. "I am right here; you do not need to yell."

"Where did she go!?" Naruto demanded to know.

"That is none of your damn business." Carver answered, "Your village is not being left unguarded, we are still here to hold your hands."

"Your safe, your welcome. Go about your business." Raiden added. "Rest up, tomorrow morning your real training begins."

"Where did Sakura go?" Sasuke stepped up.

"Ugh." Carver ran his hand through his thick locks.

"She went home." Raiden stopped talking, getting an annoyed look from Carver.

"What?" Tsunade shook her head. "How that is impossible-" Carver rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers summing concentrated chakra. The sparks fell into the ground, revealing Sakura's seal.

"What?" Team seven backed away from it.

"It Sakura's seal." Carver did not want to explain all of this. "It has been here for a couple months now; it seems none of you have noticed."

"No way." Tsunade was cut off shaking her head. "How did she-"

"It is not my place to explain it." Carver cut her off raising his hands. "But that seal was the only way we got here in time to save your asses."

"Why did Sakura leave?" Naruto asked, looking over at Carver. Naruto blushed remembering this morning and took a few steps back getting closer to Sasuke.

"Damn." Raiden muttered. "For a village who took her for granted, and then banished her, you all seem to kinda care."

"You know that Sakura is from this village!?" Tsunade was surprised.

"Of course." Raiden laughed.

"We are her team after all." Carver added on, "No one else besides us and Kaguya knows Sakura was born in this village."

"Wait." Naruto butted in. "Why doesn't anyone know Sakura is from here?"

"Well." Carver crossed his arms over his chest. "At first she disowned you all, she wanted no connection to this place but after she became more popular as a target she decided to not tell anyone where she came from, she believed her enemies would think she held ties to this place and attack it."

"She does hold ties here!" Naruto balled his hands into fists.

"Mmm...no, she doesn't." Carver brushed Naruto off. Kakashi's eye lowered to the ground, maybe that kiss meant nothing to her.

"I don't care what you say." Naruto glared. "Sakura is from this village; we grew up with her, we know her better than anyone else-"

"If that is all true like you believe, then why hasn't she visited you through the years?"

"We thought she was dead-"

"Why did she let you believe she was dead?" Carver pushed.

"Because..."

"I mean after she became the Reaper, and Commander of a village...if she truly cared about you wouldn't she want to come and see you?"

"She probably wanted to protect us so..." Naruto's heart was heavy as his mind scrambled to come up with reasons. Kakashi moved and placed a strong hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, they are just looking to get a reaction out of you." Kakashi explained.

"But-"

"Sakura can speak for herself." Kakashi reminded everyone. "These two can stand here and say whatever they want all day, but the only true way to know what Sakura wants is to ask her for yourself when you see her again."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, feeling better with Kakashi's words behind him.

"Hm." Carver surveyed Kakashi.

"I assume she returned to the Waterfall Village?" Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets, matching Carver's stare.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking from his once sensei and then to Carver. "Is that where she went!? Why couldn't you just say that?!"

"These people are broken records." Raiden said looking at Carver.

"They are dense is what they are." Carver talked to Raiden as if they were alone.

"Hey! Don't talk about us like we aren't here!" Naruto yelled.

"Why is it so surprising that Sakura left? Your village all quickly collected eagerly trying to get a glimpse of our fallen."

"Er..." Naruto wasn't following.

"Sakura left to go tell the families that their loved ones had died." Carver cut to the point. "She is the one who tells the next of kin."

"O-Oh." Naruto said.

"She will attend the funeral and then be back to check in." Raiden added input.

"Really?" Sasuke hummed,

"Why does this sound so surprising?" Carver caught on, "Doesn't she do the same thing?" Carver gestured towards Tsunade.

"Uh..." Naruto trailed looking at Sasuke, then Kakashi.

Tsunade did not do the same thing as Sakura.

"That is interesting." Carver looked from one member of team seven to the next. Tsunade wouldn't take eye contact, she was feeling less of a leader at the moment.

"You guys were pretty sore this morning-" Sasuke attempted to change the subject "-shouldn't you get some more rest?"

"Nah." Raiden brushed off. "You guys are the ones who should rest up."

"Uh." Sasuke looked to Naruto.

"Your real training begins tomorrow."

"What do you mean real training?" Sasuke wondered.

"Today was just a warmup."

"W-Warm up!?" Naruto squeaked, training today about kicked his ass!

\----

It took four days for Sakura to return to the leaf village. Carver and Raiden waited for her at down in the arena. As the wind cleared, she opened her eyes, she saw Carver's calm exterior and Raiden's carefree face.

"Hiya!" Raiden smiled,

"Morning." Carver yawned. "What happened to you?" Gesturing to Sakura's arm which had a bandage wrapped around her forearm.

"An antidote for this damn poison needs to be fucking ready." Sakura gave her version of an answer.

"Right..." Carver trailed off, "Try again." He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Someone wanted my job." Sakura shrugged.

"And?"

"I am standing here aren't I?"

"How did it go with the families?" Raiden switched topics.

"How it always goes." She said picking up her bag which was by her feet. "What's been going on here?"

"Nothing!" Raiden gasped, "It has been so freaking boring!" Sakura smirked as they walked out of the arena.

"Really?" She chuckled.

"He isn't lying." Carver sighed. "No activity from the Reapers that we can tell, none of those creatures have popped up."

"No other village had a second wave." Sakura stated.

"So that means the Reapers want something from this village?" Carver asked.

"Seems that way."

"But there is nothing here!" Carver whined, "This place is boring!"

"As true as that may be, we still need to be ready." Sakura said.

"You know we always are."

"By the way-" Sakura said, "-Have either of you seen the team I assigned to this village before we came here?"

"Hm...come to think of it-" Carver recalled. "No."

"Do you think they were killed or..."

"My life isn't that easy." Sakura said, "We need to find them."

"Any particular reason why?"

"I feel bitchy and want to hurt someone." Sakura said as they walked to the Hokage tower.

"Can you elaborate on that?" Raiden asked.

"When I went back to the Waterfall Village to deal with the four soldiers that died, as if that was not enough for me to deal with, after I informed the families of what happened Kaguya decided then to hand me a lay out of the time team forty seven spent here inside the leaf-."

"It's gonna be bad." Carver spoke to himself.

"They terrorized half the village-"

"Yeah its bad." Raiden turned to Carver.

"Stole products, acted out of line and talked back to Tsunade when she called them out on their bullshit." Sakura finished.

"Well fuck." Carver laughed, "There's never a dull moment around you."

"Don't test me." Sakura warned, already fuming as she turned and walked away from the two men, who sent questioned looks towards one another. Did they want to follow and get sucked into that mess? Carver sighed,

"It could be fun." He said, quickly following Sakura on her way towards Tsunade's office. Once there, Sakura walked right past her office door without knocking.

"S-Sakura!" Tsunade stuttered as she quickly stood from her desk, "Is something the matter-?"

"Where is the team I assigned here?" Sakura cut to the point. Tsunade and Shizune both looked at each other, their faces confirming the reports Sakura had read inside the Waterfall Village while grieving families cried over their fallen loved ones.

"You two want to stop eye fucking each other and tell me where they have been staying?" Sakura snapped, team forty-seven were not in the forest like they should be and the waterfall soldiers that followed Sakura here hasn't seen them either.

"U-Um." Tsunade looked at her assistant, Shizune.

"Well...they demanded they get set up inside an apartment...on the leaf villages dime." Shizune looked down from Sakura's glaring gaze. "Since they were protecting us and all...so..." As a malicious grin bloomed across Sakura's face, shivers ran down Tsunade's arms.

"Take me to them." Sakura's voice was low and rough. Shizune led the four shinobi to an apartment building on the edge of town. It wasn't fancy but it was horrible either, Sakura looked up at the three-story building. "In there?" She asked, Shizune nodded.

"Apartment 114." Shizune said, Sakura walked into the building with the four quickly following behind.

"Man, I wish I had some popcorn right now." Carver whispered as he watched Sakura pull out an envelope and handed it to Tsunade who opened it and pulled out a stack of money. Tsunade looked up confused,

"For the building." Raiden leaned it.

"The building?" Shizune muttered, Tsunade didn't understand, she was going to ask Tsunade never got the chance for when she looked up, she watched as Sakura kicked the front door down to apartment 114. Tsunade's mouth dropped open.

"No-No-No." Carver shook his head, taking Tsunade's arm and leading her to stand beside him. "Trust me, you don't want to be in there."

"Why-" Tsunade's words were cut off with the sounds of screaming and crashing inside the apartment. Tsunade glanced at the door and back to Carver and Raiden who leaned against the wall waiting for Sakura to finish.

"What is happening in there!?" Shizune cried,

"Well..." Carver yawned, "...Sakura is punishing the team she sent here."

"Pu-Punishing!?"

"Yeah, when your apart of the Waterfall Village's army you are expected to be held at a higher standard than most. It's Sakura's thing I don't know-" Carver shrugged. "-but what I do know, when someone goes against her orders there will be hell to pay." Carver chuckled.

"She..." Tsunade jumped at more sounds of people being thrown through a wall.

"She is feared for a reason." Raiden stepped in. "Sakura is not someone you want to piss off."

"Just in time!" Carver greeted a team that followed Sakura here, they were looking confused as they looked at the kicked in door and back at Carver and Raiden.

"Your friends are in trouble." Carver filled in.

"Oh..." The team nodding understanding. Five minutes later Sakura came walking out of the apartment, dusting a white powder from crushed drywall off her shoulder.

"Feel better?" Carver asked, Sakura ignored him.

"You are to escort team forty-seven back to the Waterfall Village where Dawn will be waiting for them." Sakura instructed.

"Of course, Commander." The team bowed.

"And if they try to escape-" Sakura added before leaving.

"Yes?"

"Kill them."

"Understood." The team bowed and walked past Tsunade and Shizune who were peeking in on the apartment. The two women had large eyes and open mouths as they looked around at the damage.

"It looks like a tornado went through this place." Shizune breathed.

"That's Sakura for you." Raiden stretched. "Sakura is naturally destructive." Tsunade didn't believe that, her mind flashed back to the little girl with short pink hair who always had a big smile on her face. No way could someone change so drastically, Tsunade refused to believe the truth even as it sat in front of her face.

The rest of the day flew by, Sakura chaperoned the leaf shinobi training led by Carver and Raiden. After the day fell into night and after they excused the leaf ninja, they went to the apartment lent to them by Tsunade. Sakura was still clearly annoyed by team forty-seven and Carver and Raiden both knew better than to poke at a pissed off commander. Sakura and Carver shared the bed once again in the bedroom while Raiden snored on the couch.

The sound of falling rumble had Sakura and Carver snapping up, muscles tense as their eyes darted around for danger. The two didn't even so much as glance at one another before they were out of the bed and running into the bedroom. Carver looked to the left, seeing the wall was in crumbled that separated Kakashi's apartment from theirs. Carver could see Naruto on his ass staring at the wall with a blue sickly expression. Kakashi and Sasuke were standing a few feet behind Naruto both looking alarmed. Instantly Sakura pulled her glare onto Naruto, who frantically began shaking his head and stuttering out words.

"My bad!" Raiden called out laughing. Sakura turned her sharp glare on her reckless teammate. Raiden crawled behind Carver. "I am sorry! I did not mean too!" He cried out, "Spare me she devil!" He begged causing Sakura to roll her eyes and looked over at team seven.

"Everyone alright?" She called annoyed rubbing her face.

"Y-Yeah!" Naruto called back standing to his feet.

"We will repair the wall." Sakura said looking at Raiden, "You will. Right now."

"I-It is fine!" Naruto said waving his hands even thought this was not his apartment that was damaged.

"Naruto is right." Kakashi said coming into view, "I was about to kick these two out so I could get ready for work."

"My hero!" Raiden cried to Kakashi with fat tears in his eyes.

"People blowing up walls should not be an issue." Sakura muttered going back into the bedroom.

"S-Sakura?" Raiden called between rooms, he waited a moment before he got up and opened the bedroom door only to get a book thrown into his face.

"Shoo!" Sakura said slamming the door shut.

"You are so mean!" Raiden whined holding his throbbing nose.

\----

Carver rubbed his sore shoulder as he and Raiden walked through the village. As they did so, they earned multiple glares from leaf villagers. Carver rolled his eyes,

"You would think these people would be grateful they are still alive." He muttered.

"Yeah." Raiden agreed, putting his arms behind his back. "But ever since we came here, pulling people out of their homes in the middle of the night there has been a lot of complaints about children being scared."

"Then that is on Tsunade who can't lie for shit." Carver said.

"True." Raiden sighed, "I have heard a lot of back talk about them being forced to be trained by us."

"Oh yeah that makes sense!" Carver snapped, "We are just taking time out of our lives to train them and make them not fucking sitting ducks in a pond!"

"It is proving to be difficult remaining here."

"Ya think!?" Carver spat, "I don't get why Sakura just doesn't say fuck off since they are fighting us so hard."

"Because of the Reapers." Raiden reminded Carver, "They clearly want something from this place, we just have to sit and wait for them to show."

"But why do we have to fucking train these people if they don't want our help?!" Carver ranted.

"I don't know." Raiden sighed, "I just do what I am told."

"I know..."

"We may be here a while, those creatures had to have drained the Reapers."

"Don't remind me."

"We should try to get on better ground with them." Raiden said.

"What? Saving their lives is not enough!?"

"I am just saying, I think it would make everyone lives better if we did something to make everyone get along."

"Who the fuck cares if the leaf villagers don't like us." Carver huffed. "Once the Reapers attack and we fight them off we will be done with this place and won't have to come back."

"We don't know that." Raiden argued. "You know the Reapers are relentless, they will come back here, and it is more than likely that Sakura will station you and I here."

"Ok since you're such a genius, what would you do to make us all get along and sing kumbaya together?"

"Hm." Raiden thought for a moment, "If we are going to be here for an extended period then we need to get along..."

"Yes, that is what we have been talking about."

"Oh!" Raiden jumped snapping his fingers, "We should throw a party!"

"A party?" Carver scoffed. "Your joking, right?"

"No! Think about it, what better way to show them we are here to help them?!"

"Um...save their village?" Carver muttered, "Keeping the Reapers from selling off the women and children of this village or stopping the men from getting their insides ripped out of their-" Carver stopped talking once he noticed the silent glare from Raiden.

"Come on!" Raiden bounced around Carver, "Really think about it, we randomly appear and basically take over. We are not approachable I mean just look at Sakura, of course they are going to be a little standoffish towards us."

"We are not here because we want to sit around a campfire and braid their hair Raiden." Carver sighed shaking his head, "But I will tell you what, if you get Sakura to sign off on this, and only if Sakura says it is ok...I will help you."

"Yay!" Raiden jumped. Carver rolled his eyes; it would be a cold day in hell before Sakura agreed to something like this. "Come on!" Raiden grabbed carver's hand.

"Where are we going!?"

"To find Sakura, duh!"

Carver and Raiden ran through the leaf village, they found Sakura in the Hokage tower, inside a spare conference room where she was talking to Dawn and Diem from the Waterfall Village.

"Sakura!" Raiden ran into the room, Sakura turned annoyed from being interrupted.

"What Raiden? What's falling from the sky this time?" Sakura sighed,

"Huh? Oh nothing!"

"Then why the hell are you here?" Sakura shouted.

"Your gonna love this." Carver said, plopping down in a chair.

"So, you know how there has been a lot of animosity between the leaf villagers and us?"

"No." Sakura answered, causing Carver to laugh.

"Ok, well there has been a lot of tension in the village so I think it would be beneficial for everyone if we all got along."

"Is he fucking with me?" Sakura looked past Raiden and onto Carver,

"Oh, just wait-" Carver waved, "-it gets better."

"Of course it does." Sakura muttered.

"Ask him his idea!" Carver called out, leaning back in his chair.

"What the hell?" Sakura groaned, "What are you doing Raiden?"

"I think we should have a party!" Raiden was so excited! Dawn and Diem where laughing on the large screen on the wall. "Shut up!" Raiden yelled at them.

"I don't have time for this." Sakura said, about to turn around and carry out her meeting with her commanders.

"Sakura, I really think this is a good idea!"

"What is?" Sakura asked turning about.

"The party!"

"Holy fuck, you were serious?" Sakura caused Carver to laugh harder.

"Yes!" Raiden held out his arms wide to get his point across. "It is a good idea! I can talk to a few food-"

"No." Sakura said, turning around and lifting the file she had in her hands back up to get this meeting back on track.

"What do you mean no!?" Raiden pouted.

"Raiden-" Sakura sighed, "I mean no, non, bango, fucking nej. Do you need me to translate that into any other different language for you?" When it wasn't Carver on Sakura's shit end of the stick, she was kind of funny.

"But why!?"

"Oh, my G-" Sakura growled, "Raiden, what do you think a freaking party is going to do?"

"Make them like us."

"Why do you need them to like you?"

"Because..."

"You have us-" Sakura said point to Carver and herself.

"Oh yeah...that's great..." Raiden trailed off.

"Hey!" Carver defended, "We are fucking delightful!"

"All we do is kill people!" Raiden cried out,

"For the record, I have not killed anyone today!" Carver smiled, bouncing back and forth a little in his chair.

"Really?" Sakura pointed her attention onto Carver, who nodded with a large smile.

"That is not an achievement!" Raiden sighed, "Do you want a freaking gold star for that?!"

"Yeah, I would actually." Carver nodded, leaning on his arm.

"Raiden I am not interested in being friends with this village. What I am interested in is us doing the job we are here to do. If you want to run off and make friends with a fucking shop owner be my guest but do it on your own time."

"But-"

"Let me know if you can't so I can pull one of them over here to do your job." Sakura said pointing to the monitor with Dawn and Diem who waved, both smirking enjoying the free show.

"There are a lot of kids who can't sleep at night because of what we did." Raiden whispered.

"They are alive because of what we did." Sakura put her hand on her hip. "A bunch of kids who can't sleep and unhappy parents because of it are not my problem, they are not yours either."

"But-"

"I said no Raiden." Sakura cut in, raising her voice. "Let it the fuck go or leave." Raiden turned for Carver to help but he raised his hands not getting in the middle of this. Carver agreed with Sakura, they had a job to do and needed to be ready. Throwing parties and pretending that the last three members of The Nine could be like normal people was a fucking joke that Carver wanted no part of. Raiden stormed out of the conference room, cursing under his breath as he stomped his way out of the Hokage tower. Raiden has his eyes locked on the ground as he ranted to himself, not watching where he was going, he ran right into an orange blur. Raiden and Naruto both fell backwards,

"I am sorry-" Naruto stopped talking seeing it was Raiden who had crashed into him. "It's you."

"Yeah." Raiden pouted. "What of it?"

"I-I didn't mean anything by it." Naruto smiled, rubbing the back of his neck feeling nervous. "Hey..." Naruto dropped his smile seeing Raiden's agitated face. "Are you ok?"

"Yes!" Raiden past Naruto as he quickly moved away from the nine tailed fox. Naruto stood on the sidewalk for a moment watching Raiden walk away but something inside Naruto told him to run after him, to comfort him. Naruto must have been freaking losing his mind! But, he did it anyway.

"Hey!" Naruto caught up with Raiden, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What? No!" Raiden looked ahead of him. "Why would I want to 'talk' about anything with you?"

"Because you kind of looked like you needed someone to talk too..." Naruto muttered, feeling like a fool for running after Raiden now. "I am sorry, I will-"

"I didn't..." Raiden looked away from Naruto. "I didn't mean to be a dick; I am just not in a really good mood." Naruto turned to Raiden with a huge smile on his face.

"You know what always makes me feel better?" Naruto said in a teasing voice.

"What?" Raiden raised an eyebrow at Naruto's large smile.

"Come on!" Naruto grabbed Raiden's hand and began to drag him behind him. Raiden had a shocked face as he allowed himself to be pulled by this blond-haired boy. Naruto pulled Raiden to none other than ramen ichiraku, Naruto's favorite place on earth.

"A ramen shop?" Raiden drew his voice out slowly, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Hey!" Naruto defended ramen ichiraku, "You cannot judge a book by its cover, come on!" Naruto forced Raiden into a seat.

"Naruto!" Teuchi, the owner of ramen ichiraku greeted.

"Hey!" Naruto smiled, "How have you been?"

"Well from the last time I seen you, which would have been yesterday I can't complain." Teuchi chuckled, Raiden looked back between the two.

"Oh?" Ayame smiled, coming into view who was Teuchi's only daughter. "Back so soon Naruto?"

"You know I can't stay away!" Naruto laughed.

"And who is this?" Teuchi asked, rubbing his chin trying to recall Raiden.

"This is Raiden-" Naruto patted his back. "-he is here with the Waterfall shinobi."

"I see, that is why I don't recognize you!" Teuchi laughed.

"You're...you're ok with me being here?" Raiden asked, rubbing his hands together in his lap. Naruto's eyes dulled with a light sadness seeing how out of place Raiden felt.

"Hm, I have heard a lot of things about the people who came here with you." Teuchi sighed shaking his head. "But either way I look at it, you and your people swooped in and saved our butts! So of course, your welcome here!" Teuchi's kindness warmed Raiden's frost coated heart. "First round is on the house!"

"Really!?" Naruto jumped.

"Yes, as a thanks to you Raiden for risking yourself to protect this village."

"It...It was nothing." Raiden blushed.

"It wasn't nothing!" Naruto laughed, playfully pushing Raiden's shoulder. "Your seriously saved us man! If it wasn't for you and Sakura I have no idea what we would of done when those things showed."

"I wish all your village looked at it that way..." Raiden muttered.

"Me too." Naruto sighed, waiting for their free meal.

"You do?"

"Oh course! I hate everyone being all mad at each other you know? I just wish we could all get along..."

"I do too." Raiden said.

"Really!?"

"Yeah, I tried talking to Carver and Sakura about it but..."

"What did she say?" Naruto wondered; his heart tightens at the thought of Sakura.

"She was busy..." Raiden blushed looking away from Naruto, "So of course she brushed off my idea-"

"What was your idea?" Naruto butted in.

"I wanted to throw a party for everyone, like we used to do in the Waterfall Village but...Sakura and Carver didn't think it was a good idea-"

"Are you kidding me!?" Naruto shouted. "That sounds like an awesome idea!"

"What sounds like an awesome idea?" Raiden and Naruto turned locking stares for a moment as their food arrived, the two looked behind them and saw Sasuke standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sasuke?" Naruto muttered.

"Yeah!" Kiba laughed, walking through the front doors of ramen ichiraku. "What is a good idea?" TenTen and Neji were behind Kiba.

"To have a party!" Naruto beamed,

"Party?" Sasuke muttered.

"A party!?" TenTen jumped at the thought of getting all dressed up and going out with all her friends.

"Yeah, it was Raiden's idea." Naruto said pointing to the man beside him.

"Raiden...?" The leaf ninja turned and noticed there was a person beside Naruto. TenTen blushed at his attractiveness.

"Your one of those Waterfall ninjas!" Kiba jumped, point at him. Raiden sighed, turning to his food.

"That is why it won't work." Raiden said to Naruto.

"What won't work?" Neji asked.

"The party is to bring the Waterfall and Leaf shinobi together." Naruto explained as he shoved a large amount of ramen into his mouth.

"You?" Neji stepped a few feet closer. "You want to do this party?"

"Yeah..." Raiden sighed,

"Why do you care if we all get along?" Kiba took a seat beside Raiden, who was shocked at the close proximity.

"Because I think it would be best for everyone..."

"What does Sakura think of this?" Sasuke sat beside Naruto.

"I caught her at a bad time..." Raiden answered.

"What do you mean bad time?" TenTen wondered.

"She was in a meeting with the other commanders of the Waterfall Village."

"There are other Commanders than just her?" TenTen questioned, after ordering a bowl of ramen for herself.

"Well, yeah?" Raiden chuckled, "You have different ranks here, don't you?"

"Hm...yeah, I guess we do." TenTen thought about it for a moment.

"The other Commanders are under Sakura?" Neji wondered.

"Yeah, they are her second and third. They help run the village when Sakura isn't there or if something should happen to her, the village won't fall apart."

"That is smart..." Neji noticed.

"Sakura is smart." Raiden took a bite of his food; he was surprised by how flavorful it was.

"Good right?" Naruto laughed with a mouthful of food.

"It is." Raiden agreed.

"Would anyone else like to order?" Ayame asked, walking up to the group of shinobi.

"Yes!" Lee jumped onto Neji's back. Neji complained but accepted the annoyance.

"What are you doing Lee?" Naruto wondered.

"I just got done training with Guy Sensei!" Raiden noticed how energetic Lee was. The two then locked eyes. Lee leaned into Naruto. "Who is that beside you?"

"Hm? Oh! Lee this is Raiden, Raiden this is Lee."

"Nice to meet you!" Lee reach out his hand for Raiden to shake, Raiden stared at the hand for a second before awkwardly shaking hands. These leaf ninjas were very...trusting from what Raiden could tell. The more he sat around and watched the leaf shinobi the more he could not believe Sakura came from this village. She was nothing like these people were.

"So." Neji wiped his mouth with a napkin. "This party, do we have any ideas for it yet?"

"Huh?" Raiden looked up from his bowl.

"Do you have any ideas for it, or have you already started making preparations?" Neji repeated himself.

"You-You..." Raiden was at a loss for words, were these people willing to help him?

Naruto looked at Raiden for a moment, when Sakura first returned after five long years, he was so happy when he found out she had been inside the waterfall village. But the truth was, if you were a shinobi who had chakra life inside the waterfall village was pure hell. A large majority of the people inside the waterfall village did not have chakra, which is one of the reasons the shinobi or 'soldiers' as Naruto heard Sakura call them do not live inside the village; they live around the village as a protective border. Inside that village it was a dog eat dog world, hell anyone could walk up to Sakura and try to kill her and if they succeed then they would claim her title of commander for themselves...to live in that kind of world must be horrible.

"We wanna help!" Naruto said jumping out of his thoughts with a large goofy grin on his face.

"Why?" Raiden did not understand.

"Because that is who we are!" Naruto laughed, "So, let's get planning this thing!"

"We are going to need Tsunade's permission before we go through with this." Neji said.

"Leave granny to me!" Naruto wrapped an arm around Raiden, "We got this!"

One quick week later another morning had come all too early. Sakura was inside the kitchen cooking eggs for breakfast when Raiden came out of the bedroom dressed. Carver raised an eyebrow,

"What are you doing up?" Carver asked,

"I am allowed to be awake." Raiden said, reaching over grabbing a slice of buttered toast.

"I think what Carver is trying to say is your never up this early unless we drag you out of bed." Sakura clarified.

"I do not!" Raiden stuck his tongue out at Carver who rolled his eyes.

"Why are you dressed?" Carver noticed, "Where are you running off to so early?"

"Nowhere." Raiden lied, he had a meeting with Naruto and his friends with Tsunade about their block party for the village, and Raiden hadn't really told Sakura or Carver about it...

"You can't take off just yet." Sakura said as she finished cooking.

"What?"

"I need you to train the leaf shinobi this morning." Sakura explained.

"What!? What about Carver! Why can't he-"

"Um, for one you haven't done shit in the last week. It has just been me training by myself-"

"Sakura, your the Commander doesn't that mean you should be the one training?" Raiden cut Carver off,

"Huh?" Carver asked dumbfoundedly.

"Your right Raiden-" Sakura said looking over her shoulder. "I am the Commander, and one of my fun loving abilities is to delegate certain tasks I don't want to do. So with that being said, your training today."

"What...?" Raiden pouted seeing he had lost, Sakura shrugged.

"You wanted to pull rank." She said,

"Hey-!" Carver snapped not liking being ignored "-Secondly what the hell have you been doing this past week?" Carver asked Raiden.

"Nothing..."

"Oh really? Because your throwing up every color flag right now."

"What do you mean-"

"Your more distant with us, your never around anymore, when you are around your quiet and always on that damn phone." Carver stood, walking up close and personal to Raiden. "Your hiding something."

"I am not-"

"There is one thing you do not do Raiden, and that is lie to us." Carver said, pointing to Sakura including her in.

"I am not lying!"

"Then where are you going?" Sakura sighed, leaning against the counter.

"I made a friend..." Raiden muttered looking at the floor.

"A friend?" Sakura repeated.

"Yeah..."

"Like a...tickle me friend or..." Carver trailed off,

"No!" Raiden yelled.

"Then who?" Sakura pressured.

"Naruto!" Raiden blurted "Ok...I have been hanging out with Naruto." Carver glanced over trying to see Sakura's reaction but as always, she kept her composure. "That is why I didn't say anything because I know how you feel about him."

"Why the hell are you hanging out with that scumbag-" Carver asked,

"He is not a scumbag!"

"Oh, you're defending him now?" Carver laughed.

"Yes, he-"

"You know what he fucking did to Sakura!"

"They were both kids, he didn't know-"

"Are you fucking joking right now?!" Carver yelled.

"No!" Raiden yelled back. "He is a good guy-"

"Are you fucking him?" Carver bluntly through out into the open.

"What-What?! No, we are just friends-"

"Oh, so your close now?"

"I never said we were close."

"I mean you have to be." Carver laughed. "Because your standing there defending this guy who you barely know against us! It's us Raiden we don't hide shit from each other!"

"I know-!"

"Oh really? You think that little turd would die for you like we would?" Carver spat, the long paused answered Carvers questions. "Oh! Oh ok!" Carver laughed.

"Carver-"

"No, no its fine, go play with your little friend while Sakura and I do all the work. You remember that, at least right? We are here preventing your butt buddy from being slaughtered and turned into a human trophy but it's fine, go play." Carver turned away; he saw Sakura was watching them as she leaned against the counter eating her breakfast.

"Sakura..." Raiden sighed, turning to her waiting for her calm and collected words. All she did was shrug as she chewed her food. "I..."

"You do what you gotta do Raiden." Sakura said kicking herself off the wall and turning to walk into the kitchen to clean up. Raiden looked at the clock and huffed, he was already running late!

"Can we walk about this later?" Raiden called to either of them that would listen.

"I will be leaving for a while." Sakura said, turning to Raiden.

"L-Leaving...why?"

"If you had been around then you would know." Sakura answered.

"I...I am sorry Sakura..." Raiden's sad face made Sakura sigh.

"I have to return to the Waterfall Village for a few days."

"How come?"

"Because."

"Because...?" Raiden tried to draw out.

"Because you really think I would let Onoki of the Stone Village get away with what he did?"

"Oh yeah..." Raiden recalled forgetting Onoki tried to plan a strike against the waterfall village.

"So Carver and I will be gone for a few days."

"You and Carver?"

"Yes."

"But why both of you?"

"I am leaving two teams with you, you'll be fine here on your own now that you have Naruto to keep you company."

"Sakura..." Raiden sighed watching Sakura move past him. Without any more words Carver and Sakura left the apartment, leaving Raiden alone with his guilt and thoughts.

Raiden raced to the Hokage tower where he was meeting up with Naruto and the other leaf shinobi. He was running late as he turned the corner and leaped into the building through the front doors. He came to a halt seeing Naruto and the others all sitting around staring at him.

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head.

"Sorry I'm late!" Raiden blushed.

"Where have you been?" Neji crossed his arms over his chest. "You're a half hour late and this was your idea-"

"Hey!" Naruto jumped up, getting in the middle. "I am sure he had a good reason, right?"

"I um...I had a bad morning..."

"Ugh!" Neji turned away from looking at Raiden.

"I got into a fight with Sakura and Carver-"

"What?" Naruto quickly looked back at Raiden at the sound of her name. "A fight? Why?"

"It's a long story." Raiden sighed, taking a seat in an empty chair beside Lee.

"We have time." TenTen smiled, "Tsunade probably isn't even awake yet, which is what is taking so long." A couple people chuckled, and Raiden smiled, feeling a little better which also made him feel guilty. For years it was always just Carver, Sakura and Raiden. But Sakura and Carver were not bundles of joy, they were mostly bitter and sarcastic people...sitting here with these lighthearted leaf shinobi was a nice change and it was not fair that Raiden had to feel bad about growing out from The Nine...right? When Raiden really thought about it, he could understand their attitude since Raiden knew how Sakura felt about the leaf village.

"Well..." Raiden sighed, not knowing how to put his feelings into worlds or if he even could...he has spent years bottling emotions and just throwing them away in the darkest depths of his soul, this was the only way to survive over the years but maybe...maybe now Raiden didn't have to bottle everything up anymore. "Well-"

"They have been waiting for how long!?" Tsunade's voice echoed through the building, shutting down Raiden as footsteps moving quickly turned everyone attention to the door slamming open.

"Lady Tsunade will see you know." Shizune smiled, earning a heated glare from Tsunade looked over to the group waiting to see her.

"Huh!?" Tsunade was confused, she turned to Shizune, "You said it was the Waterfall Shinobi!"

"Yes, there is one in their group." Shizune said, causing Tsunade to groan. She was expecting to see Sakura!

"Come!" Tsunade called, already forming a headache as the group of six followed her to her large office. Since Lee was the last person, he closed the door as Tsunade sat at her desk with a huff of air escaping her. Tsunade looked through the leaf ninja and right onto Raiden, he belonged to Sakura. "What do I owe the pleasure at this early hour?"

"It's noon." Neji said.

"Er...Gran--I mean Tsunade..." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "We were wondering well...we were actually hoping that-"

"We want to throw a party!" TenTen cut in, Naruto huffed relaxing.

"A party?" Tsunade muttered the word.

"For the Leaf shinobi and the Waterfall's." Raiden stepped up, moving closer towards the Hokage.

"What?" Tsunade asked dumbfounded.

"Ugh!" Naruto grabbed his hair. "It's not hard! We want to have a party to bring the village back together!"

"A party-" Tsunade laughed at the silly thought. "What-What did Sakura say to all of this?" Raiden looked away from Tsunade. "She doesn't know?" Tsunade loved a good scandal. "She did just leave the village correct?"

"Wait, Sakura left?" Naruto asked, turning to Raiden feeling a little betrayed he wasn't told.

"Only for a few days." Raiden muttered. "And she knows of the idea..."

"She just said no?" Tsunade wanted to confirm.

"Well, I caught her at a bad time so..."

"Never in my wildest dreams could I picture Sakura approving this." Tsunade leaned back in her chair.

"Well it's a good thing that this isn't her village then!" TenTen stepped up, holding out a file. "We have spent all week working on this! Everything is planned out and booked, we just need you to approve it."

"I see." Tsunade looked over the folder, they did do good work. Tsunade glanced up at Raiden.

"And Sakura did use to do stuff like this for the Waterfall Village." Raiden quickly added without thinking.

"Oh?" Tsunade said, Naruto looked at Raiden as he realized that Raiden knew more about Sakura than he did, and that made him feel sad...and a little jealous? "You said 'did' why did she stop?"

"I...."

"Oh, come on! You can't just say something and then not follow up on it!" Tsunade made a good point.

"Sakura...she doesn't like her past brought up." Raiden shifted from his left foot to his right.

"Sakura is not here." Tsunade reminded, "I will tell you what, if you finish your story then I will approve this." Tsunade held up the file.

"Raiden!" TenTen whispered.

"I...I can't..." Raiden tightened his fists.

"Hey-" Naruto touched Raiden's shoulder, "It's ok, you don't have to do anything you don't want too." Naruto smiled, but Raiden looked at Naruto and then to the others. Raiden had so much fun the past few days he didn't want this to end.

"Sakura...she use to set up parties for the village, it was one of the rare times the soldiers and the villagers got to spend time together....we use to have them every season but then..." Raiden took in a deep calm breath. "The Reaper's made their appearance during one of our festivals...a lot of people died that night including Sakura's second in command."

"Wow." Tsunade breathed, not expecting to hear a story like that.

"Wait-" TenTen placed her hands on her hips. "I hear so many rumors about how the Waterfall Village is this beautiful place and how peaceful it is there. I heard just last spring they had one of the biggest festivals!"

"That is all true, as long as you're not a person who holds chakra that lives inside the Waterfall Village then your life is probably pretty great. The village itself does still hold festival it is a big tourist attraction, but the soldiers are not allowed there anymore."

"Are you sure it is wise to go against what your Commander said?" Kakashi's voice came from behind the group, causing them to jump.

"Kakashi!" Naruto whined, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"What are you talking about Sensei?" Lee questioned.

"Well, it sounds to me Sakura denied this request of yours already." Kakashi said to Raiden. "You didn't like her answer so you're going behind her back?"

"I am not-" Raiden stopped, realizing he was going behind her back. "It's not like I am putting together a strike team! It's just a party!"

"But will Sakura see it that way?" Kakashi wondered, Raiden knew the answer.

"So, its approved right?" Raiden turned to Tsunade ignoring Kakashi.

"As promised." Tsunade handed the signed folder.

"Thank you." Raiden muttered, turning on his heel and walked past Kakashi. The leaf shinobi quickly followed suit, since they had a lot of setting up to do. Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and walked closer to Tsunade's desk.

"Was that a smart thing to do?" Kakashi asked, Tsunade then shrugged.

"The kid is right, it's just a party and this isn't the Waterfall Village."


	10. Chapter 10

It took Raiden, Naruto and the other leaf village shinobi four days to set up the village party. It was a lot of work but once it was all said and done, the party was immaculate. It was one of those last warm nights before fall came. Lights were hung everywhere, around the trees and above everyone's heads, tables that were beautifully decorated littered the training grounds. There was a large stage and projection screen setup. Music from the DJ was already playing as Raiden looked around doing the final touches before anyone else arrived. Neji was able to get five food carts to participate, the air smelt delicious.

"You owe me ten bucks." Raiden jumped, spinning around seeing Sakura and Carver standing behind him. "I told you he had something planned."

"How the hell did you know?" Carver shook his head.

"I know everything." Sakura responded as she turned back to Raiden. "I hear you made quite a number of new friends."

"Well...they were all just helping me with-"

"Really?" Sakura cut in, "That's what you're going with?"

"I'm sorry Sakura, but I tried to talk to you about it, but you just shut me down! You wouldn't even talk it through with me."

"Raiden." Sakura took a few extra steps closer to him. "I am the fucking Commander, I don't have to 'talk it through' with anyone."

"You used to with us, we use to be more than just your lap dogs-"

"Oh, shut the fuck up." Sakura said, "You know I don't look at you and Carver as soldiers. You two are the only ones I can count on, at least that is what I thought."

"Hey." Carver warned.

"You know what I mean." Sakura reinsured him, "Raiden, you went behind my back and for what?"

"To help bring-"

"Yeah no I heard all that already from Tsunade." Sakura sighed, looking around. "Have you thought this through?"

"I am pretty sure I didn't miss anything..."

"Raiden, your smarter than this." Sakura said, "Have you planned out who will be replacing the Waterfall soldiers when they come to this thing you put on for them?"

"Wait what?" Raiden looked up, causing Sakura to scoff.

"There are reasons why I do what I do." Sakura explained, "We know the Reapers want something out of this village, we know they already tried to send a second wave of creatures. We don't know how fast they can move right now. Having a village wide party getting everyone who can defend themselves wasted is not a smart move right now. If you would have just listened to me, I could have helped you plan this for a different time. Not when there is a possible threat staring at the gates of this village."

"I didn't think about any of that..."

"You came running into my meeting with the other commanders as if this-" Sakura looked around at the party set up, "-was more important than the village I helped build up from the ground."

"Sakura...I am so sorry I...I don't know what came over me and I-"

"I know." Sakura said, making Raiden feel uneasy about how soft she was being right now. "I know how easy it is to get wrapped up inside the Leaf Village. You forget this is where I am from, I know how this place works. From the outside looking in it's just like our village, the grass always looks greener on the other side."

"What are you saying?" Raiden asked.

"You're a shiny new toy." Carver said. "But when you're not the shiny new toy guess what you're going to be."

"What?"

"A shinobi from another village." Carver answered. "Man, I get it. I am tired Sakura is tired too, all we do every day is fight, kill and then repeat. I get you want a change but this place is not the answer. Sakura was one of their own and they were so willing to banish her, you're an outsider, when you stop being entertaining and your true scars come out, they won't be able to handle what they see. We don't want to see you get hurt."

"I am sorry, I-"

"Raiden-" Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder. "-no matter what your feeling, you can always come to me and talk about it. Not when I am in the middle of a meeting where Onoki is trying to pull villages together to attack when I am not inside the village to defend it, but any other time Carver and I are here."

"Yeah man, and I am sorry for losing my cool with you before we left." Carver sighed he didn't like talking about feelings and opening up it made him nauseous, "You know I hate this stuff...it just felt to us like you found new people to replace us with and it hurt so..."

"You two are the most irreplaceable people on this earth." Raiden laughed hugging Carver and Sakura.

"Enjoy your party Raiden." Sakura smiled,

"Wait what? You're not going to-"

"Carver and I will replace the two teams on watch tonight."

"But..."

"You worked hard for this-" Carver patted Raiden's shoulder as Sakura and Carver moved to leave. "-enjoy it and save us some food!"

"Wait-!" Raiden turned but they had vanished.

"Wait for what?" Raiden saw Naruto behind him. "Ah man! Did we forget something!?"

"No." Raiden smiled, his heart feeling lighter. "Everything is fine."

"Did we ever stop to think what we would do if no one showed?" Naruto wondered.

"Ugh....we will have a lot of food to eat." Raiden joked, causing Naruto to laugh.

"This is beautiful." Shizune said with a smile. Tsunade and Shizune were the first to show.

"Welcome!" Raiden greeted, "Enjoy the party!"

"Oh, I will." Tsunade said, eyeing the beer tent.

"Wow!" TenTen looked at the finish product. "Are we like...secretly really good at planning stuff?" TenTen asked Hinata who giggled.

"Welcome!" Raiden waved, seeing more people flocking towards the training grounds where the party was set up.

"People showed." Carver was slightly shocked, he turned to Sakura who smirked. They stood in a nearby tree watching Raiden. Raiden rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to do now.

"Wow!" Ino breathed looking at all the pretty lights as she entered the party.

"Ino!" Ino looked over to see her peers all waving sitting at a picnic table, Ino smiled and waved back. Ino wore a tight purple dress with skinny straps that rested on her shoulders, with black high heels. Her hair was in her normal hair tire and her side bang. Ino looked at Hinata who wore a light blue dress which sparkled with the lights as she moved. Her hair was curled and styled. TenTen was wearing a light green dress that appeared similar to Hinata', Ino felt overdressed. Shikamaru walked into the area, wearing dark jeans and a plain white shirt. Choji was wearing a tux shirt and jeans. Ino rolled her eyes at the lame shirt. Ino's heart fluttered seeing Sasuke enter he wore black pants, a white under shirt and a dark blue jacket with his sleeves pushed up towards his elbows. He took her breath away without even trying!

Hinata was searching for Naruto, she scanned the crowd until finally her eyes landed on him. She felt her heart beat faster and her stomach fluttered. Naruto wore tan pants and a white button up shirt. His outfit was so casual and yet Hinata leaned against TenTen starstruck by his appearance. TenTen smiled at Hinata, understanding the feeling completely. TenTen could not stop watching Neji, she wore his normal white shirt and black pants, but he still looked so attractive. She blushed and quickly looked away once he looked her direction. Shino grunted seeing the three girls goggle at the sight of Naruto, Sasuke and Neji. Shino wore what he wore every day, so did Kiba, who was playing with his dog ignoring everyone. Sai looked over at Shino, who appeared to be annoyed, but really Shino was jealous. He did not have any girls knocking his door down.

Konoha Eleven got their food and a few drinks in before the senseis made their appearance. Ausma, Kurenai, Kakashi and Iruka walked in together, dressed and ready to party. Guy and Lee walked in together, being loud and showing off that two matches in their black suits. Raiden greeted everyone, he felt how clammy his hands were; why was he so nervous?!

"Calm down." Carver spoke, shivers ran down Raiden's neck, he quickly turned.

"I thought you weren't going to come!"

"Sakura sent me to make sure you were ok." Carver shrugged.

"I am not having fun!" Raiden harshly whispered.

"Yeah...that is what Sakura thought was happening."

"I should never have put this together I-"

"Hey." Carver placed his hands-on Raiden's shoulders. "Calm down, theres nothing on the line here, it is just a party. I have seen you take on hordes of shinobi without ever blinking, I know you can host a simple party."

"Your right." Raiden breathed.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I am gonna grab some food and then send Sakura ok? And it is your job to make sure she eats."

"Ok." Raiden nodded; Carver gave him a thumbs up.

"Be excited people showed up, I lost another ten bucks."

"Stop betting against me!" Raiden yelled after Carver who laughed his way to the food stands.

Forty minutes later, everyone was looking around at each other feeling awkward. No one was dancing to the music, at one-point Raiden tried to start the fun by dancing by himself, it did not go over well.

"I feel like Carver lied to me." Raiden turned around, hearing Sakura's voice. Kakashi and Naruto perked up, seeing the pink hair. "He said this was going well."

"Yeah well..." Raiden sighed. "It was but I don't know what to do now." Team seven stood, seeing Sakura after days of her missing from the leaf village! Relief filled them as they soaked in her sight.

"At least people are here." Sakura commented.

"Yeah! I heard you won some more money!"

"You know Carver's horrible habit of gambling." Sakura defended herself.

"Your gambling with him!"

"No, when you're going up against Carver, it's like insurance." Sakura shrugged. "He may love to gamble but he really sucks at it."

"Do something!" Raiden harshly whispered.

"Huh?"

"Make people do stuff."

"Er...If I start throwing out orders at people to have fun, your party will commit suicide."

"Tell me what to do!"

"I am not in this." Sakura shook her head, "This is your thing that you put together."

"I know but...what did you do at the Waterfall Village when the party started to die down?"

"They never died down that was always the problem." Sakura chuckled. Naruto was slowly moving towards Sakura, not sure if he should move closer or not...but he wanted to talk to Sakura.

"Well, what is the last party you remember?" Naruto heard Raiden ask, Naruto pretended to drink his empty cup.

"Um..." Sakura thought back. "The last party I remember I woke up in a drainpipe."

"Th-That's it?!"

"You were in a wheelbarrow wearing that floral dress because you lost the bet-"

"Ah!" Raiden shook his head at unwanted memories bubbling up. "I do not want to remember that." Naruto covered his mouth trying to muffle his laugh. Sakura patted Raiden's arm,

"You'll be fine." Sakura said, as she turned her sights on the thought of food.

"Your leaving me!?"

"I am going to eat and then get back on patrol." Sakura answered as she walked away. "Try jumping on stage, that use to always work." Sakura called out as she left.

"Yeah...Yeah! You are right!" Raiden said getting pumped up. Sakura's stomach growled as she walked to the food stands with Naruto trailing behind her. Kakashi sat a plate of food down, eyeing the pinkette as she moved through the crowd gaining a lot of attention. Kakashi just settled down beside Guy and Iruka when a loud crash turned everyone's attention. Two girls were dashing out of the way as Sakura flipped drawing her sword as she did so she block a strike against her. Kakashi quickly stood seeing a second opponent jumping into view. Sakura looked behind her as a man ran up, as Sakura continued to clash blade with the woman in front of her, she quickly lifted her left arm slamming her elbow up into the man's nose.

"Ah!" He cried, "Alright!" He said dropping the ground as his eyes watered. Sakura took that moment to kick the woman away from her, she landed onto a picnic table.

"What the hell are you two doing!?" Raiden yelled, as the two strangers popped up from the ground like daisies. Kakashi sighed, seeing Sakura lower her weapon.

"I see you haven't lost your touch." The woman laughed, reaching an arm out as Sakura helped her get to her feet. Sasuke had his eyes locked onto Sakura, the little firecracker. He felt his heart swell with a new warm feeling he didn't understand, it wrapped around his heart and was not letting him go. He watched her; he never felt this way before. Sakura made him feel this way he knew that much. This woman standing in front of him, that Sakura intrigued him. The raven-haired man could not get those burning green eyes out of his head! This Sakura was the one he wanted...no...he needed her in his life.

"I see you have." Sakura joked.

"Ha-Ha." She faked laughed as she put her sword away as did Sakura.

"Son of a bitch." Carver groaned, seeing what all the fuss was about. "Every damn time with you too."

"Aw, are you jealous we didn't go after you?"

"Shut up Annora." Carver playfully glared. The leaf shinobi glanced at each other so very confused. Naruto walked over to Raiden and lightly poked him.

"Hey uh, who are those two?" Naruto whispered.

"I'll introduce you!" Raiden pulled Naruto over.

"No...No!...Hey...Sakura" Naruto blushed.

"Leaf village-" Raiden addressed everyone watching, he noticed even the music stopped playing. "This is Annora and Zander." The two strangers waved, looking around at the confused faces. "They are soldiers of Sakura's."

"Pftt." Annora scoffed. "Don't make us sound like objects or anything."

"Oh sorry!" Raiden laughed. "These two are one of the Waterfall's special ops-" Sakura quickly moved to Raiden, who was talking to much.

"Where's Ian?" Sakura cut Raiden off, looking at Annora.

"Hm, we don't know he wandered off on his own again." Annora answered, Kakashi knew these people to be the waterfall villages version of a black ops team.

"What are two doing way out here?" Sakura asked, Kakashi and Iruka glanced at each other.

"We were invited to come." Zander gasped dramatically, "When we heard you were having a party Sakura we just had to come!'

"Mm, nope." Sakura shook her head. "This isn't mine."

"What, what?" Zander said turning to Raiden.

"This is his thing." Sakura explained.

"Aw!" Annora whined,

"Well this has been fun-" Sakura said walking away.

"Hey!" Annora yelled quickly going after Sakura as the music started again.

"Well..." Guy said shoveling food in his mouth. "That was interesting." Kakashi watched Sakura order food, her soldiers attack her whenever they believe they get a free chance at her title and now even her friends attack when they believe she is vulnerable. What kind of life is Sakura living and how could he get her out of it? Kakashi pulled his eyes off Sakura for a moment, with his arms crossed over his chest Kakashi realized he still deeply cared for her...Sakura's phone sang in her pocket, she answered it and walked away from the group, Kakashi watched her leave the training grounds as she spoke into her phone.

"Annora!" Raiden called with the wave of his hand.

"What's up?" She asked once they were in talking distance.

"Will you help me?"

"Help you?" Annora chuckled, "Raiden, I think you need a lot more help than I am qualified to-"

"I meant with the party!" Raiden snapped,

"What?"

"No one is having fun." Raiden said, Annora looked at the people seeing Raiden was right.

"Now that you mention it everyone does look a little depressed."

"Will you help?" Raiden had puppy dog eyes making Annora sighed.

"Fine." She said causing Raiden to cheer, Annora looked at the leaf shinobi as an evil smile spread across her face.

"What's that look for?" Raiden asked.

"No reason." Annora spun walking towards the stage.

"But that is your murder face. You can't murder these people Annora!" Raiden yelled following her.

"I am not going to kill anyone, shut up!"

Raiden watched on the sidelines as Annora talked to the DJ and handed him a disk. It seems Annora came prepared for this situation. Music began to play as Annora stood in the middle of the stage and sang, no one paid attention to Annora until the chorus of the song hit, causing the screen behind Annora to flicker to life.

((Song -- Carrie Underwood renegade runaway))

Familiar yet distant emerald eyes caught everyone attention. Pictures of Sakura filled the screen, Naruto sat up to get a better look, devouring the sight of snapshots from Sakura's life from the last five missing years. Soft pink hair fell just past her shoulders in a screen shot of Sakura standing in front of a large crowd, it was the day Sakura became the commander of the Waterfall's army.

Tsunade smiled seeing these pictures, having missed out on a big part of Sakura's life. Everyone watched the slide show in silence as Annora sang. Kakashi's heart picked up seeing a small video played on the screen. The camera looked around at a battlefield field, the camera moved until it was placed on its target. What was once short controlled hair had grown long and wild with curls pulled up into a ponytail. She wore a familiar uniform but what caught Kakashi's eyes was the black mask resting over half her face. Her green eyes glowed against the black material as her jaw moved showing she was talking, barking out orders to people off camera. Kakashi was frozen, he couldn't move his eye off the screen.

Sasuke hid his fascination with this new Sakura well, but even he could not deny that this small taste inside Sakura's world was overwhelming. Sasuke was having a hard time convincing himself he wasn't falling for this whirlwind of a woman. Before Annora could get to the last part of the song the music cut off and the screen went black. Naruto stood he didn't want this to end, he wanted more!

"What?" Annora laughed acting innocent seeing Sakura standing beside the DJ, the disk in her hand as she crushed it.

"You know what." Sakura glared at her.

"I was helping Raiden-"

"Entertain them with something." Sakura warned, her eyes seem to burn against the darkness of the night.

"It's not my fault they are so fascinated with you, I simply used the tools I had at my disposal." Annora smiled, Sakura rose her hand showing the broken disk.

"Really? Tools at your disposal?"

"What are you doing here? I thought you had to be on patrol." Annora pouted as Sakura walked closer to her, revealing herself to the leaf shinobi. Naruto sucked in a breath in his lungs seeing her. Kakashi knew Sakura was not happy with Annora and her little stunt but Kakashi loved that he got a peek into Sakura's world.

"Looks like someone is in trouble." Guy's hearty laugh filled Kakashi's ear, but he didn't pull his exposed eye off Sakura who looked to be lecturing Annora. After a minute Sakura walked away from a disappointed Annora and jumped off stage, disappearing once again causing team seven to huff out annoyed.

"Well that was a good show." Carver said watching Sakura walk towards him.

"No." She said taking the plate of food Carver handed her and sat down at the nearby picnic table.

"No one can see us." Carver noticed a food truck was blocking their view of the party.

"That's the point." Sakura muttered, annoyed Annora did what she did.

"Well what she did seemed to work for a little bit." Carver said seeing the leaf shinobi settling back down.

"I don't care." Sakura said.

"You know, this party dies then all the work Raiden did would be for nothing."

"Not my problem." Sakura shrugged as she watched Zander jump on the stage as he gave being the entertainment a try.

"Hm." Carver hummed, leaning back in his seat. "Who is on patrol right now?" Carver wondered,

"Me." Sakura answered, having sent clones to stand watch as she took time to eat.

"Ah, I see." Carver nodded, turning to watch Raiden and Zander goof off on stage. Carver saw how some of the waterfall soldiers were sitting at the same tables as leaf shinobi, maybe this whole party thing was working.

"Sakura why are you in your uniform?" Annora walked over, Sakura gave an empty look as a response at the stupid question. "You sent out clones to stand watch, why don't you go change and relax a little-" Carver smiled to himself, he can't remember the last time Sakura 'relaxed' Carver was convinced she didn't have that word in her vocabulary.

"Get away from me." Sakura's voice caught Carver's attention. Sakura was glaring at Annora who was pulling Sakura's arm to get up and dance. Sakura used her leg and pushed Annora away, who huffed annoyed turning and storming away.

"She is persisted." Carver yawned leaning on his arm,

"She is annoying today." Sakura agreed picking up her phone as it began to sing again.

"Dawn again?" Carver asked.

"Yeah." Sakura said standing from her seat, she turned leaving the party so she could hear her second commander over the phone. Carver sighed, getting up from the table and moved around the food stand which blocked the view of the party, he leaned against the stand watching all the people sitting around not enjoying the hard work Raiden and Naruto put into this...Carver sighed; how could he make this fun for everyone?

Annora watched Sakura walking back to the party from talking on the phone for almost ten minutes! Annora had a plate of food she was munching on, she waved pulling Sakura's attention onto her. Sakura ignored her walking a different direction away from Annora.

"Hey!" Annora ran after Sakura, "Who were you talking-" Annora tripped Sakura turned in time to see Annora's plate of nachos hitting her stomach.

"Seriously?" Sakura scowled.

"I didn't mean too-" Annora laughed, "-I am sorry!"

"Mhm." Sakura said. "Sure, you are."

"On the bright side you can change now!"

"No." Sakura said looking down at the mess of liquid cheese and chili on her clothing.

"Why?"

"I don't have another uniform here."

"You don't need another uniform, just go change into anything else!" Annora lectured. "Or do you want to smell like a human plate of nachos?" Annora grinned.

"I hate you." Sakura turned.

"I love you too!" Annora waved as Sakura left the training grounds to change.

"Where is she going?" Carver walked over,

"To change." Annora answered.

"Change!?" Raiden popped up, "Is she finally going to-"

"Nah, I just spilled food on her."

"Why did you do that?" Carver wondered.

"I tripped." Annora shrugged.

"We have known you for years, you don't 'trip'." Carver said. Annora smiled and bounced away from the two men who looked at each other. What was Annora scheming now? Carver shook his head and found his way to where Naruto was sitting laughing with a few leaf shinobi. "Hey." Carver called out; Naruto turned his head.

"Yeah?" He asked with his large blue eyes.

"You're the one who helped Raiden, right?"

"Er...yeah?" Naruto felt nervous under Carver's gaze. "Well we all kinda helped." Naruto gestured to the others sitting at the table with him.

"Then why aren't you helping him right now?" Carver asked.

"What?" Kiba looked over, "Help him with what?"

"You haven't noticed that this party is kind of sucking?"

"Hey!" TenTen stepped in, "We put a lot of work into this party!"

"Then why are you all sitting here and letting Raiden break his neck alone trying to get people to mingle. That was the whole point of this thing wasn't it? For the Waterfall and Leaf to get along?" Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but as he glanced past Carver Naruto's mouth hung open. Carver noticed Naruto and turned to see what everyone was gawking at; Sakura had returned to the training grounds. Her long hair flowed as the wind blew through her hair, she wore tight fitting black jeans and a loose white shirt. Her outfit was so simple, but it had Naruto's heart beating fast in his chest as she moved towards them.

"Sa-Sakura!?" Naruto has only seen her in her uniform with her hair up waiting for a fight.

"You changed." Carver noticed.

"Thanks to Annora." Sakura said, walking until she was standing beside Carver. "What are you lecturing them about?"

"I wasn't lecturing..." Carver muttered.

"Looked like it." Sakura said as she spotted Raiden who was still working on getting people pumped up, Sakura groaned figuring out the answer she was waiting for. "Are you still on this party thing?"

"Raiden worked hard."

"Ok?" Sakura shrugged.

"When does Raiden ever work hard?" Carver counted, bringing up a good point. Kakashi was a few tables away with his friends, he watched Sakura's face dazzle in the light of the party. He engulfed Sakura's new outfit. His eye trailed over every curve of her body as his pants began to grow tighter.

"I am over hearing about this." Sakura said, snapping her hand at Naruto. "You-" She pointed, "You-" She repeated at Kiba, "-and you-" She said to Lee, "-lets go."

"Where?" Naruto's voice was small as he rose to his feet anyway. Sakura didn't answer, she just led the three-leaf ninja towards the stage.

"Raiden!" Sakura yelled gaining his attention, she gestured to follow her which he did. Sakura led the small group, as she passed Zander who sat with two full plates of food in front of him, she grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Wha-!?" He was just about to dig in! Sakura didn't care, they reached the stage and she pointed to it and told them to hop on it.

"Huh?" Kiba leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest. "Why?"

"Because if you don't, I will make your life a living hell tomorrow during training." Sakura snipped. The five men all looked at each other and quickly climbed onto the stage, Sakura motioned to the DJ to change the music to a faster upbeat song. The five looked around feeling awkward about being up on stage and standing around. "Look like you're not on trial!" Sakura yelled out.

"Are you really ordering them to have fun?" Carver laughed. Sakura quickly snapped her eyes to him.

"You want to be up there too?"

"Nope." Carver spun and walked away.

"If you don't start moving, I will make you run suicides tomorrow until you drop!" Sakura called. Raiden and Zander quickly began moving, they have been forced to do that punishment once and never wanted to do it again! Slowly but surely, the leaf shinobi started to dance, and it began to look like this was a party. After Sakura walked away from the stage people walked over to it laughing at Naruto and the others but they soon joined in on the fun.

Sakura's table that hid her from sight was now covered in supplies from the food stand, so she had to sit at an empty table that was in the middle and in full view of everyone. Annora quickly joined Sakura,

"I can't believe that worked." Annora was shocked.

"They just needed a push." Sakura muttered.

"You look nice." Annora complimented earning a glare from Sakura. "Here." Annora sat a blue solo cup in front of Sakura and poured liquid into it.

"Where did you get that?" Sakura asked, seeing the bottle of alcohol.

"I borrowed it from the beer tent." Annora answered mixing a little lemonade into the cups. Sakura looked at the cup and then to Annora.

"Oh, come on! When do we ever get to sit around and drink?"

"I am on patrol." Sakura said, causing Annora to roll her eyes.

"I know for a fact there are other shinobi on duty right now, and I know you have the craziest tolerance to alcohol I have ever seen. This probably won't even touch you, so drink!"

"Your pushy." Sakura said,

"Damn straight I am! Drink!"

"If you keep trying to push alcohol on me people may think your trying to take advantage of me." Sakura smirked at Annora's blushed face.

"Shut-Shut up!" Annora pushed the blue cup closer to Sakura. "Drink your fucking drink!"

"Ok-" Sakura said lifting the cup to her lips. "-but don't try to crawl into my bed tonight like you did last time."

"I-It's not like I tried to do anything with you! I was just drunk and was cold."

"I hear excuses."

"You are bitter tonight." Annora glared.

"It's one of my charms." Sakura smirked looking at Annora's pouting face.

"I don't think you understand what qualifies for that."

"Mhm." Sakura hummed, looking at her phone as I buzzed again.

"This that Dawn?" Annora wondered.

"Yeah."

"How come you're not inside the Waterfall Village?" Annora wondered. "I get Carver and Raiden being here but why you?"

"Why not me?"

"Because you have a village to run?"

"I can run it while being here."

"I-I don't think that is how villages work..."

"I am running it, so yeah that is how it works." Sakura looked over at Annora. "You doing ok?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to pull you and Zander back to the village-"

"No." Annora sighed, sipping her drink.

"You sound so convincing." Sakura placed her phone on the table,

"We are good." Annora smiled, enjoying this moment where Sakura showed her concern, it was a rare occurrence.

"Good how?" Sakura questioned, as Annora answered Sakura glanced over her shoulder. Kakashi watched Guy dance beside their table, his face flushed showing he has had a little too much to drink.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"You ok?" Annora asked, looking past Sakura trying to see what she had been watching.

"We are not talking about me." Sakura said, finishing off her drink. Naruto and the others were still on the stage but now more people had jumped onto it as they all danced to the beat of the music. Annora grabbed Sakura's empty cup and began making a second drink for her, as she talked about what her and Zander had been doing in the past months. Sakura quickly looked up, seeing his silver hair move past her in the corner of her eye. She watched him walk away from her, moving towards a food stand.

"I knew it!" Annora jumped.

"What?" Sakura asked casually turning back around.

"You have been checking out that guy!"

"What?" Sakura repeated.

"That guy in the sexy mask, you been glancing at him every so often-"

"Does that sound like me?" Sakura interrupted.

"Hell no, which is why I was confused at first but now I know for a fact you been watching him. So, who is he?"

"I think it's time to cut you off." Sakura said, slowly taking Annora's glass.

"Hey! Do not make me sound crazier than what I already am! I can do that all on my own, now spill it. Who is he or I can go around the village asking-"

"I dare you." Sakura threatened.

"Tell me!" Annora whined, causing Sakura to sigh.

"There is nothing to tell you." Sakura shrugged.

"But you were literally just-"

"Looking around because I have to watch all these drunk people?" Sakura filled in for her.

"That-No! You are twisting-"

"Or you had to much to drink."

"I have not!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...no...maybe...he was kinda hot." Annora blushed.

"Who?" Sakura questioned not looking Annora in the eye.

"That man who past by with the mask."

"A guy wearing a mask over his face is hot?" Sakura asked slowly. "Do you have some special sight that I don't know about?"

"It's not about his face, well it is kind of about his face but its the mystery behind it you know?"

"No." Sakura shook her head.

"Whatever." Annora sighed, standing up. "You may not want to get laid tonight but I do, it has been forever."

"Has it now?" Sakura laughed.

"What about you?" Annora wondered. "I don't think I have ever heard you talk about your sex life."

"Maybe because it is my sex life, which doesn't concern you." Sakura rose as well.

"Fine." Annora waved. "You don't want to talk to me that is fine, for tonight. Since you don't have your eye on the silver fox I am going after him."

"Have at it." Sakura waved.

"Wish me luck!" Annora bounced away as she quickly moved towards the table Kakashi was sitting with Guy. Sakura stood in place for a moment, she felt annoyed Annora was flirting with Kakashi.

"Hey." Carver's voice snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. "You good?"

"Yeah." Sakura spun around, "You?"

"Yeah, hey are you good to watch the village for a few hours alone?"

"Why?" Sakura questioned. Carver cleared his throat, nodding to the left. Sakura raised an eyebrow seeing a shy looking girl standing off a few feet looking awkward. Sakura chuckled, "Seriously?"

"We can't all be robots Sakura, people have needs." Carver joked, "Will you be good alone because Raiden is trashed and is useless more than usual right now."

"I got it, now you might want to go to your friend before it's her bed time." Sakura smirked. 

"Fuck you." Carver smiled.

"Wear a condom!" Sakura called after Carver who spun around shooting her a dirty look. Sakura chuckled, turning to leave the training grounds. She rubbed her shoulder and she glanced back at all the people who were mostly drunk, she shook her head and left the grounds. Sakura found her way to the large wall that surrounding the leaf village, she walked along it alone as she stood guard alone watching the sun yawn across the night sky.

\----

"Ugh." Raiden moaned, sitting up from sleeping on a hardwood floor. His head throbbed and his stomach rocked back and forth making him nauseous. Raiden looked around seeing he was inside the apartment Sakura was using while inside the leaf village. Raiden thought for a moment, how did he get here? The last thing he could remember was being on stage dancing and taking shots with Naruto. Snoring pulled Raiden's attention beside him where a body lay, bright blond hair poked through the blanket wrapped around him. Raiden pulled the sheet back to see Naruto beside him. Zander was asleep on the couch, his arm and leg both hanging off the side as he snored away.

"Good morning." Raiden turned, seeing Sakura standing behind him.

"What...?"

"You don't remember a damn thing, do you?" Sakura sighed.

"How much trouble am I in?" Raiden tried to remember what he did to piss Sakura off, but he could not remember. He looked up, seeing Sakura had moved closer holding out a water bottle and little pill bottle for the headache.

"You're not in any trouble." Sakura answered. Raiden slowly took the two items looking up at her.

"I'm not?"

"No." Sakura laughed, "You were smashed last night."

"How did I..." Raiden trailed off.

"Me." Sakura said, "I brought you here."

"You did?"

"Mm..." Naruto moaned, moving to roll onto his side. Sakura and Raiden both watched him for a moment, watching him stir awake. "Ugh." Naruto whined feeling the hangover.

"If you're going to vomit, do it in the bowl or go to the bathroom." Sakura called, moving to push one of the dark blue bowls she had placed beside all three men closer to Naruto. Naruto sat up, holding the bowl as he looked around not recognizing his apartment. Sakura tossed a water bottle down beside Naruto as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"Yes?"

"What...?"

"You're in the apartment I am borrowing." Sakura told him,

"But how did we get here?"

"I brought you here." Sakura said.

"Wha-?" Naruto looked at Raiden who had no idea, Sakura sighed.

"You three-" Sakura pointed to Carver, Naruto and Zander, "-decided to try and find me while on was patrol."

"I don't remember any of that." Naruto rubbed his head.

"I figured." Sakura shrugged.

"Did we do anything stupid?" Raiden yawned rubbing his face.

"Nothing more than usual." Sakura answered, pulling her phone from her back pocket and tossed it to him. Naruto and Raiden looked at each other before turning Sakura's phone on and seeing there was a video sitting on the screen.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice came from the phone. Naruto and Raiden turned blue as they watched the recording Sakura took of them late last night. The three men acted a fool as they followed Sakura everywhere, she went. At one-point Naruto got into a fight with a tree because it would not move out of his way.

Sakura cleared her throat, causing the two on the floor to look up. She nodded her head over to the kitchen. Naruto and Raiden slowly stood, their worlds spinning as they stumbled their way to where Sakura stood. Naruto's mouth dropped open seeing the mess that covered the kitchen. Dried food and liquid were everywhere, there was a can of ravioli that looked like someone took a hammer to it as a kunai poked itself out of the side of the can. Raiden touched the toaster, seeing a phone was resting inside with butter smeared on the front and back.

"Why did you let us do this!?" Raiden tried to recall anything from last night but failed he blushed turning to Sakura who was looking at her phone, she looked up.

"I am not a babysitter." Sakura put her phone away. "You should be happy I didn't leave you sleeping outside when you three fought me to come here."

"What the fuck?" Carver sounded, having walked into the apartment. "What the hell happened here?" Carver asked slowly walking into the kitchen.

"Ask them as they clean this up." Sakura said, turning to walk away but she stopped seeing the dark bags under Carver's eyes. She shook her head as she chuckled. Raiden flopped his arms to his side, he felt something in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out a floppy waffle. Raiden looked back at the toaster.

"What?" Carver grumped at Sakura.

"Walk of shame doesn't look on you Carver." Sakura said as she walked away.

"Where-Where the hell are you going?!" Carver brushed off the comment.

"To do my job." Sakura called as she left the apartment.

Sakura stood inside the conference room she had been borrowing. She stood in front of the large screen listening to Dawn as she spoke reading off from a few files. The door open, Carver and Raiden walked in and plopped into chairs sighing as they did so.

"What happened to them?" Dawn asked looking around Sakura.

"They are morons." Sakura answered.

"True." Dawn nodded.

"Hey-!" Carver sighed, feeling too tired to continue.

"Is that mess cleaned up?" Sakura asked the two men turning back to Dawn,

"Yes." Raiden sighed, he felt like he had hit by a speeding truck!

"Sakura." Dawn called, before she ended the call.

"Yes?"

"There is one more thing." Dawn sighed, rubbing the side of her head.

"What is it?"

"Brasle has reached out to us." Dawn said slowly.

"Brasle?" Sakura repeated. "What the hell do they want?"

"It appears there is trouble, and they have requested you. I told them you were out of the village and I would be happy to assist them, but they declined my suggestion."

"Oh!" Raiden jumped, "Can we go!?" Sakura looked back at Raiden with an annoyed look. "Please?" Raiden asked, remembering the flirtatious town.

"Did they say why it had to be me?" Sakura asked.

"No." Dawn shook her head.

"Raiden and I can go." Carver said as Sakura thought for moment. Brasle was a town Sakura and the Nine would go party in. It was their hang out spot for years until Sakura and the town's leader Amos had a falling out.

"Thank you Dawn." Sakura said ending the call.

"Hm?" Carver asked watching Sakura walk out of the room, he and Raiden got up and quickly went after Sakura.

"Hey!" Carver caught up with Sakura, "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" Sakura didn't look at Carver as they made their way to their borrowed apartment.

"You're going to go Brasle by yourself?"

"They requested me." Sakura answered.

"Hundreds of towns and villages request you, but you don't give a damn unless they're about to be burnt to the ground. Why is this time any different?"

"You know Amos is still the town's leader, right?" Raiden asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sakura asked walking off the elevator.

"Um..." Carver laughed as Raiden smiled, seeing Naruto outside his apartment door with his team, getting ready to go train. "Because we stopped going there because of him." Carver ignored team seven. "That guy is fucking insane." Team seven watched Carver lecture Sakura.

"You think I can't handle him?" Sakura had a hard look on her face as she opened the apartment door.

"I know you can handle your own, but that town is a lot to deal with remember?" Carver tried to reason with her. Sakura thought back to the council in charge of the town. How flirty and body hungry they were, Sakura looked behind her. Carver was a few feet away from her pleading with her not to go alone as Raiden remained near the open door as team seven hung around Naruto's front door listening to what was happening.

"Yeah I remember." Sakura said, turning to face him as a plan brewed together in her head. "Where is Annora?" Sakura asked, seeing Zander still snoring on the couch.

"I haven't seen her, last I heard she was trying to get laid last night." Carver thought, Sakura glanced through the open front door at Kakashi who was looking at Naruto.

"I see." Sakura gave a response.

"Why?"

"Because we can't leave this village unguarded, I can reassign them to this village while we are gone."

"Wait...we are going?" Carver was taken back.

"Yes." Sakura smirked, "Team Seven-" Sakura called, shivers ran up the three men who hung outside with Raiden who was swaying with the door.

"H-Huh?!" Naruto jumped. "We cleaned up the mess I swear-"

"Pack your bags." Sakura ignored Naruto.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I am going to be borrowing your team for a while." Sakura smirked at carver's expression as he caught onto what she was planning.


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura, Carver, Raiden with team seven set out of the leaf village in the early morning through one of Sakura's seals. She could transport them as far as a small town which was under Sakura's protection, but they still had a day's walk until they reached Brasle who were not responding to Sakura's phone calls. No one had been able to reach the small town since they reached out to Dawn inside the Waterfall Village.

Sakura led the group ignoring the conversation behind her. The path they must take to Brasle was an easy one, they didn't need to climb hills or hike through thick forests. The worst the team had to do is walk over an old rope bridge which hung over a large speeding river, piece of cake for a group of highly trained shinobi right?

"So..." Naruto muttered as he and Raiden walked behind everyone. "Why did Sakura bring us along?"

"I don't really know." Raiden smiled.

"Eh!?" Naruto gushed, earning looks from Sasuke and Carver who walked ahead of them. "How don't you know!?"

"Believe it or not, Sakura rarely tells us anything she does." Raiden sighed.

"But-But aren't you guys on a team together?!"

"Yes and no."

"It cannot be both!" Naruto frowned.

"If you haven't noticed, most of our team has died in combat." Raiden looked to the ground as sadness soaked his heart. "It's true we were on a black ops team with Sakura and we all became extremely close but then our members started to die and now that it's just the three of us we rarely go out on missions together. Before we came to your village to defend you guys against those creatures, I hadn't seen Carver or Sakura in months."

"Why is it like that?" Naruto wondered, he couldn't picture not seeing Sasuke or Kakashi for months at a time.

"That is just how things are now."

"You three seemed kind of close though..." Naruto didn't understand this information he was just given.

"We are in our own way." Raiden smiled.

"But wouldn't you want to be with your team!?" Naruto couldn't drop it. "Your team is like your second family!"

"That is where your wrong Naruto."

"How!?"

"Because my team is my family." Raiden answered. "Besides for the three of us, there is no one else waiting for us to come home."

"What...?" Naruto breathed.

"Carver's family was killed years ago, way before he stumbled into the Waterfall Village and Sakura found me as my village burnt to the ground. And well...you know Sakura's story."

"I...I had no idea I am sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Raiden giggled. "It isn't your fault."

"I know, but I still feel bad."

"You don't need too." Raiden reached out and lightly punched Naruto's shoulder. "We are fine." Naruto looked at Raiden and saw a smile, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was hiding his true feelings.

"Hey!" Raiden and Naruto snapped forward hearing Carver. "We are taking a break." Carver informed,

"Yes!" Naruto cheered; his feet hurt. Naruto dropped down onto the side of the dirt path they walked on as he pulled out a granola bar and his bottle of water. Carver walked over to Sakura who stood a few feet from everyone else.

"Are you sure it is a good idea to bring them along?" Carver whispered to Sakura so only she could hear.

"Hm?" She looked up at him. "Why do you care?"

"Brasle is going to eat them alive, and you know it." Carver whispered.

"I know." Sakura's sly smile took Carver back a moment.

"Your perfectly ok with using them as bait?" Carver wanted to clarify.

"You're not?" Sakura wondered, putting the map in her hands away after she checked that they were still going the right way.

"Sakura this is-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Raiden called, sitting next to Naruto.

"Nothing." Sakura answered, glancing back at Carver as she reached down and picked up her bag. Carver had a knot in his stomach as Sakura called out that the break was over. Naruto whined and began to collect his items and shove them haphazardly into his bag. Carver walked over to Raiden who wondered back onto the trail from going to the bathroom.

"Hey." Carver called, stopping Raiden from walking any closer to the group.

"What's up?" Raiden asked, reading Carver's face.

"Does Sakura seem a bit more..." Carver trailed off looking over at the pink haired soldier.

"Bitchy?" Raiden filled in. "Yeah, I have noticed that too."

"Did you know she is using-"

"Carver, Raiden." Sakura broke their conversation, pulling their attention towards their teammate. "Let's go."

"Coming!" Raiden bounced on the heel of his foot but glanced back at Carver as a creeping dark emotion bloomed over Raiden, creating a bad feeling rooted deep in his gut.

Sakura and her team walked the rest of the day in a dull blur of low conversation and light fighting between Naruto and Sasuke. Despite Sakura's want to continue the group has settled down for the night setting up camp, they will arrive early in the morning in Brasle. Naruto was excited to see Brasle, he had been listening to stories from Raiden about the party town! Kakashi glanced over at Sakura who had not spoken in hours, he wanted to walk over and talk to her. Every time someone spoke to her, she would snap and kill any chance for conversation. She was the farthest from the fire as she quietly ate her dinner, tuning out the people around her.

"Say..." Naruto thought out of the blue, "Sakura?" Naruto called, who internally groaned at the sound of her name.

"What?"

"You never did tell us..."

"Tell you what?" Sakura felt annoyed at the lack of information offered to her.

"How you got to us in such short amount of time." Naruto explained further,

"What are you talking about?"

"When we got ambushed by those Reapers and you had to come help us, and then you got placed on our mission to the River Village, remember?"

"Hm." Sakura hummed acknowledging Naruto's words.

"That's right." Kakashi chimed in. "I remember Sakura appearing, but she never did tell us how she knew where to find us." Naruto nodded at Kakashi's words and then glanced over at Raiden and quickly did a double take.

"You know something!" Naruto accused Raiden.

"Wh-What?!" Raiden nervously laughed. "I-I don't know-"

"Spill it!" Naruto ordered.

"You three really don't know anything do you?" Carver muttered.

"What does that mean!?" Naruto yelled, "Raiden-"

"This isn't my story to tell." Raiden smiled. Naruto blinked a few times and then looked over to Sakura.

"Sakura...?" Naruto's voice was soft as he moved closer to her. "Will you-"

"If I tell you will you shut up?" Sakura asked looking over.

"Yes!" Naruto beamed but everyone knew it was a lie, Naruto had two levels to his voice: awake and asleep.

"Take your jacket off." Sakura told Naruto, who instantly blushed.

"What-Why!? I mean I um-"

"Do you want to know or not?" Sakura snapped. Naruto quickly unzipped his jacket leaving him standing in his black t-shirt. Sakura reached out and touched his right arm, after a moment everyone leaned in seeing his forearm beginning to glow.

"What is that!?" Naruto panicked, watching a bright white circle appear on his smooth skin. Kakashi knew that symbol to belong to the Haruno clan.

"It's a seal." Sakura explained, taking a few steps back and sitting down.

"A seal?" Naruto repeated slowly watching as the symbol slowly vanish.

"They have been placed on you for about two years now." Sakura didn't look anyone in the eye as she spoke.

"Wait...do you mean they are on more people than just me?" Naruto asked.

"Everyone around this campfire." Sakura answered. "And a few other people." Kakashi's eye widened as he reached over and touched his own arm.

"I-I am confused!" Naruto sat back down.

"What are these seals?" Sasuke questioned, "And who placed them on us."

"You are as dense as ever." Sakura directed her insult at Sasuke. "I am the one who placed them on you."

"You said years ago though." Sasuke shook his head. "You weren't inside the Leaf-"

"Your correct I was not inside the Leaf Village at the time I placed them on you three."

"What are the seals for?" Naruto wondered still holding his arm.

"Mainly protection." Sakura answered.

"I am not following." Sasuke said.

"Those seals are how I found you, they become active only when your life is threatened. When that happens, I am summoned. Your last fight with the Reapers Naruto was down and his mark summoned me to you. It is how I got to you all so fast and knew where to go." Sakura explained, Naruto's eyes were sparkling as he stared at Sakura. Naruto's heart felt so full in this moment he cared about nothing else. Sakura placed seals on team seven to make sure they were safe! Naruto felt so loved and so happy-

"Don't get too excited." Sakura read Naruto's face.

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"Your seals were bought."

"Bought?" Kakashi stepped into the conversation.

"Someone paid you to place these marks on us?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes." Sakura answered, crushing the warm fuzzy feeling inside Naruto. Carver and Raiden glanced at each other.

"Who?" Naruto wondered.

"Why is that any of your business?" Sakura questioned.

"Well...I just think it would be nice to know who would do something like that for us?" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "I would like to thank them-"

"Or you could just be grateful." Sakura said, causing Naruto look away and look any place Sakura was not.

"I don't believe you." Sasuke said, "No one would do that-"

"Oh jeez." Carver sighed, seeing a fight gearing up.

"Your brother." Sakura leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"My-My brother!?" Sasuke was shocked. "But...how?! When?! Why-"

"Why would Itachi pay for seals to be placed on Kakashi and myself?" Naruto wondered. Sakura shrugged as Carver watched her lie to these three. Only one member of team seven had to get their seal paid for, and that was through Itachi but as for the other two...Sakura did that all on her own.

Before the conversation, which was going so smoothly could continue, Kakashi pulled a kunai out in a swift motion as he quickly blocked a curved knife from slicing his throat out. Naruto and the others jumped up, dropping their food to the ground as multiple shinobi dropped around them. Four shinobi appeared, all wearing matching outfit making them appear to look like stitchpunk's.

"Sakura?!" Raiden called out. "Did you-?"

"No." Sakura answered. She did not sense these shinobi nearby closing in on her and her team.

"They hid themselves inside the vegetation." Carver noticed.

"Mixing their chakra with it so we couldn't sense them." Sakura finished. Naruto looked around at the four ninjas', they slightly creeped him out.

"Very smart." One commented on them having figured out how they snuck up.

"Who are you!?" Naruto demanded.

"You won't live long to find out." Another laughed. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yeah?" Sakura said walking towards them. "That's what they all say." She made the first move, wielding her blade to claim yet another life. They were able to scatter for the moment, but Sakura didn't stop her assault with that one move she went after them. Carver and Raiden jumped after the shinobi as well, but they were fast and slipped out of reach just in time.

Team seven were standing around in a circle not knowing where the masked shinobi who invaded their camp were. Naruto could no longer see or hear Carver or Raiden; he was beginning to feel worried about them. Kakashi kept his eyes on the thick forest, listening for any sign of the three shinobi in their group. Where was she? Kakashi's heart was started to beat faster at the hundred possibilities that could of happen as he stood here!

Rustling brushing and a branch snapping had team seven spinning around facing Naruto's direction with their weapons raised. Carver's face appeared he saw team seven and instantly looked annoyed.

"What are you doing?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"You guys just took off!" Naruto yelled.

"Yeah." Carver confirmed walking into camp.

"Why!?" Naruto half whined.

"To lead them away from you." Carver said as if that was obvious.

"You-You don't need to lead them away from us!" Naruto ranted. "We can hold our own."

"Can you?" Carver placed a hand on his hip.

"Yes!"

"Then why did Sakura get hurt saving you?" Carver directed at Naruto who went still remembering back to that moment.

"Carver." Raiden called out. "Leave them alone."

"I am not doing anything wrong." Carver smiled, turning to his teammate.

"Where is Sakura?" Kakashi questioned, not seeing her appear with her team. Carver looked behind him.

"She must of went after the one that fled."

"What?!" Naruto jumped. "She can't!"

"Why?" Raiden wondered taking a sit next to the fire.

"Her side!"

"Her side is fine." Carver said, "That healed a while ago."

"It did?"

"Yes." Carver yawned. "So, for next time there is no need to be freaking about us leading an enemy away from you. Just defend the camp and all will be fine."

"There is no next time!" Naruto shouted.

"There will be."

"No!"

"Why do you feel that way?"

"Because you three need to stand next to us while fighting and not go running off into danger!" Naruto yelled.

"But that's the perks of the job." Carver shrugged.

"Well now you can't do that anymore because you're with us!" Naruto yelled, shutting his eyes. "And it worries me when you guys-" Naruto's eyes snapped open seeing Carver had moved and pressed him up against a tree. Naruto turned three shades redder seeing how close Carver was against him, holding him against this tree.

"You were worried about me?" Carver smirked, getting the reaction he was looking for out of Naruto.

"I-I-I" Was all that would sliver out of Naruto's mouth as his brain fogged up.

"Carver knock it off." Sakura called coming into view. "You're going to give him a heart attack and I am not performing CPR."

"Sakura." Kakashi was relieved to see she was alright. Carver turned, pouting because his fun was being ruined.

"I'm not doing anything!" Carver held his hands up moving to sit beside Raiden. Naruto slid down from the tree, Sasuke sighed shaking his head.

"Aw, are you jealous I am giving all your friend the attention?" Carver asked Sasuke, a shiver ran up his spine seeing Carver's glowing eyes, Sasuke blushed a little.

"Of-Of course not!"

"Mhm." Carver teased.

"Did you get him?" Raiden asked.

"Yes." Sakura sighed sitting closer to the fire feeling cold.

"Any useful information from him?" Carver turned his attention.

"No." Sakura raised her hands closer to the fire.

"Damn." Carver sighed leaning back against Raiden as he yawned. "I wonder if those guys were the issue that Brasle has been having.

"Maybe." Raiden thought for a moment. "They were pretty fast."

"But you took all four of them down?" Sasuke wondered.

"Yeah." Carver sighed, closing his eyes feeling tired. "They were fast but not much else."

"Alright!" Raiden yawned, "Let's do this!"

"Do what?" Naruto muttered, sitting as far as he could away from Carver but close enough to still feel the fire.

"Rock, paper, scissors."

"Eh?" Naruto tilted his head.

"And why would we do that?" Sasuke asked.

"To see who has to be the two who have to stand watch." Raiden explained.

"Oh!" Naruto understood.

"Come on!" Raiden and Carver stood as did team seven. "Sakura!" Raiden yelled. Sakura was beginning to understand how they were found in the middle of a forest. These men were so loud they could wake the dead if they wanted too. Sakura walked to the circle standing beside Kakashi. He looked down at her, feeling her brush against the side of his body.

"Ok!"

"One-" Raiden counted. "-Two, three!" Everyone shot out their hands with their choice of rock, papers, scissors.

"Ha!" Carver rose his hands up, walking away from the group and practically falling into his sleeping bag. Sakura and Sasuke were the two who lost.

"First or second?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"Um..." Sasuke blushed, looking away from the weight of Sakura's gaze. "It's up to you."

"Alright." Sakura shrugged. "I will sleep first."

"Sounds good." Sasuke said looking at the ground, hating himself for not looking at Sakura so he could burn her image into his brain. Half way through the night, Sasuke gently woke Sakura to take over watch. He wanted to just let Sakura sleep through the night but he was so tired, his head was hurting and his eyes burned.

Sakura watched the sun filled the forest with light as she sat near a newly made fire, waiting for time to hurry up and pass so she could wake everyone up. Kakashi woke on his own, he sat up seeing Sakura staring into the fire poking it with a stick. He smiles seeing she was still a little fire bug. Sakura looked up seeing Kakashi move around.

"Good morning." His voice was husky from having just woken, his voice flipped Sakura's stomach as she bit her lip looking away from him.

"Morning." She answered.

"How did you sleep?" He asked pulling himself to his feet, Sakura responded with a shrug.

"I am going to get more wood." Sakura rose, Kakashi glanced around them. They were in a forest; one didn't need to go far. He watched her walk away as he checked out the way her hips swayed as she moved. Kakashi cleared his throat as he turned to start making a small breakfast for everyone when they woke up. He kept glancing to the tree line, waiting for her to return. He sighed, shaking his head at himself thinking about how unfair this was. Sakura did not come with a warning, she may seem cold and harsh but Kakashi felt addicted to her abuse, he couldn't get enough.

Sakura made her way back to camp due to the smell of food. She walked into the small clearing seeing everyone had woken, even Naruto. They all sat around eating powdered eggs and hot tea prepared by Kakashi.

"Morning Sakura!" Naruto waved with a sleepy smile on his face.

"You're up." Sakura was generally surprised.

"Yeah." Naruto had a cheeky smile as he continued to eat his meal. Kakashi stood, walking over to Sakura handing her a paper plate and a cup.

"Thanks..." Sakura said not meeting Kakashi's gaze as she moved to sit beside Raiden.

"Any issues?" Carver asked, Sakura shook her head.

"Well that's good, maybe those four men were just passing through."

"Or maybe they were why we are here." Raiden countered. "It would be so funny if those four were the reason and we took them down before getting into town!"

"That would be!" Naruto agreed laughing with Raiden. Sakura noticed the food was surprisingly good. She glanced over at Kakashi who watched the conversation.

"Well-" Carver sighed, stretching his arms over his head. "We better get a move on; we need to get to Brasle before night fall."

"Why do we need to get there before nightfall?" Sasuke asked. Carver, Raiden and Sakura all glanced at each other.

"We just do." Sakura answered, raising to her feet. No one else asked questions as they packed up and were off! Naruto was bouncing beside Raiden, excited to see this town! Sasuke walked beside Carver in the middle of the six as Sakura and Kakashi were at the lead. This was something Carver found interesting, he knew Sakura had to really trust someone to walk beside her, because should they get attacked, they need to be able to defend the group. Yet, there her she was walking beside Kakashi as if this was a norm for her. Carver could not wait to call Sakura out on this because last he knew she hated the leaf village and everyone inside it, especially her former team who allowed her to fall between the cracks.

Sakura turned, looking behind her with a heavy sigh on her lips. Fucking team seven was slow! The day was already half gone, and they hadn't made it even halfway to Brasle!

"Let's go!" Sakura called out once again, causing Sasuke and Naruto to sigh they felt like children being lectured by a parent.

"Maybe we should take a break." Kakashi suggested.

"A break for what?" Sakura asked, turning to look at him. "They haven't done anything-" Sakura cut herself off, feeling her phone buzzing. "-Fine." She said turning away from the group as she pulled her phone out answering it.

"Huh? Where is Sakura going?" Naruto asked,

"I can't remember a time she didn't have that phone glued to her." Raiden muttered, hating how her role of commander has taken over her life.

"Hey, I saw a lake over there!" Naruto pointed. "You wanna go for a quick swim?!"

"Uh..." Carver said glancing back to where Sakura went. "I don't think-" Carver sighed, seeing Naruto and Raiden already running away in the opposite direction Sakura had gone. Carver groaned quickly going after the two, he got to the side of the lake in time to see Naruto and Raiden strip and jump into the lake. Kakashi walked up beside Carver, "Has your team always been like this?"

"Like what?" Kakashi questioned.

"Reckless and-"

"I believe one of your teammates is with Naruto." Kakashi interrupted.

"They're both morons." Sasuke stepped next to Carver. "Sakura is going to kill them if they don't get out."

"It's their funerals." Carver took a seat watching Naruto and Raiden swim as they splashed around.

Ten minutes later Sakura stumbled upon them, looking a little confused. She looked from Carver and Sasuke sitting in the grass to the two in the lake. Kakashi was reading his book waiting for this all to play out.

"What the hell?!" Sakura called, moving closer to them. They were already behind due to team seven moving too slow, now she finds this!

"Sakura!" Naruto waved. "Jump in!" He smiled, getting splashed my Raiden.

"Am I having a stroke?" Sakura asked turning to Carver as anger bubbled in her chest. Carver shrugged.

"I told them."

"Clearly you did not do a good enough job." Sakura turned back to the lake. "Raiden!" Sakura yelled, "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Um...swimming?" Raiden muttered patting the surface of the water.

"Get the hell out!"

"Aw come on Sakura!" Naruto laughed, "This is fun! Come join-"

"I swear if you two do not get out I will boil this lake with you two in it!" Sakura threatened. Naruto turned to Raiden, expecting him to call her bluff but he saw Raiden was swimming to shore.

"Raiden!?" Naruto whined.

"She's not joking." Raiden warned. Naruto flinched at the thought as he quickly moved to shore.

"What did Dawn want?" Carver asked, waiting for the two men to change out of their wet boxers. 

"Nothing." Sakura answered, needing to get away from the two morons who thought a swim was the most appropriate thing to do. Carver sighed, giving up the conversation as the team waited for Naruto and Raiden.

"We are not going to get there before nightfall at this rate." Carver told Sakura who was facing away from everyone on her phone.

"I know." Sakura turned to him. Carver and Sakura stared at each other for a long second. Sasuke and Kakashi felt the tension between the two.

"You never told us why getting there before dark is so important." Sasuke commented.

"Because-" Carver sighed, truth was if they had gotten there during the day then team seven might not have needed to be used as bait... "-we just do." Carver looked away from Sasuke and gazed into the lake. Kakashi put his book away, he had a feeling his team was not being told the full story. Kakashi glanced at Sakura, he could trust her with his team's safety...right?

"Let's go!" Sakura yelled fifteen minutes later, walking with rage in each step in the direction Naruto and Raiden were supposed to be getting changed.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?!" Carver called standing, did Sakura really want an eye full of naked Naruto? Sakura stepped through the bushes and stopped walking instantly. Naruto and Raiden were sitting down casually eating cups of ramen.

"Are you kidding me?" She glared down at the two as they shrunk under her gaze. She grabbed each of them throwing them into the clearing where the others were, she tossed their bags and left their uneaten food on the ground.

"But my ramen-"

"I don't give a fuck." Sakura snapped, pushing Naruto forward. "We are moving, with or without you."

"Your so mean!" Naruto whined as Sakura moved past him to lead the group, she turned over her shoulder but said no words as she started back on their path to Brasle with or without all five of the men behind her. Carver noticed how those words from Naruto slid through her armor and affected her. What Carver could not understand was why Sakura was working so hard at keeping team seven at arms length. Why did Sakura only have to be a cold fortress allowing no one in?

The rest of the day slipped away no matter how fast Sakura and her team moved. They reached the old rope bridge. Naruto gazed down at the thirty foot drop into the rushing water below, he refused to cross it. When Carver tried to pick him up Naruto ran and hugged a tree refusing to step onto the creaking bridge. It took both Kakashi and Carver to detach Naruto and drag him, Sakura led the way as Naruto was close behind her. His foot fell through a piece of wood, causing Naruto to jump and cry. Sakura never seen him moved so fast as he bolted through the air almost never touching the bridge as he reached the other side leaving the rest of the team in the middle of the bridge. Carver and Raiden were laughing so hard they had to sit down.

She cursed under her breath as the sunset began to fall asleep. Carver threw out the idea of camping before going into Brasle but that wouldn't work. They would be spotted and then surrounded in a heartbeat. The best thing to do now was to just go straight through Brasle and get this over with.

It wasn't long before team seven heard music, Kakashi looked down the dark path as the forest ended and a town was starting to come into view. Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other, seeing the bright lights glowing from the town.

"What kind of place did Raiden say this was again?" Sasuke muttered to Naruto.

"He didn't say much-" Naruto answered as Kakashi listened. "-he just said they use to party here."

"Party?" Sasuke looked at Sakura, he could not picture her partying.

"Hey-" Carver called looking back at team seven. "-you guys should try and stay near us, ok?"

"Why?" Naruto asked, Carver glanced at Sakura who showed no signs of giving a fuck.

"Just...trust me, ok?" Carver sighed, giving Raiden a concerned look before turning around to walk straight. Sakura and her team reached Brasle, the gates to the town opened. Naruto's mouth dropped open as the neon lights poured out into their sight. Music blared against their ears and they could feel the base of the music vibrating through their bodies. Sasuke and Kakashi glanced at each other, what the fuck were they walking into?

The team walked through the gates and were met with hundreds of people dancing in the streets. Naruto looked at all the types of people, who were all dressed in wild bright clothing painted with bright makeup and matching hair. Raiden reached out, grabbing Naruto bringing him close to him as the music began to beat down onto Naruto. A woman wearing nothing, but thin thong tried to grab Sasuke and pull him to the large crowd which surrounded them. Carver reach around, wrapping an arm around Sasuke pulling him into an embrace.

"That lady was naked!" Naruto tried to yell over the music.

"Yeah!" Raiden said, "Most of them are!" The team pushed their way through the crowd, but it did not take long for people to notice them. As more eyes fell onto Sakura, Carver and Raiden people pushed their way away clearing a small path for them to walk.

"Why are they all looking at us?" Sasuke yelled, trying to get his words heard.

"We told you-!" Carver answered. "-we used to hang out here!"

"That doesn't-" Sasuke cut himself off seeing a man walking into Sakura's space, he had a drunken smile as he reached down trying to kiss her. Kakashi went to move up but stopped, seeing Sakura slam her knee up into his stomach. He fell to the ground Sakura turned; her mouth moved but the blaring music ate her words. Naruto reached out to her as she turned and began walking away. Carver and Raiden pulled team seven through the crowd trying to keep up with Sakura. Naruto looked at the town, the blinking neon lights hurt his eyes as he shut them the music collected in his ears pounding against his skull as the smell of sugar and alcohol mixed in the air. Naruto opened his eyes, feeling something trying to wrap around him. Raiden lost his grip on Naruto who was slammed against the ground, Naruto opened his large blue eyes and froze seeing a much large man on top of him. The man slides a hand up Naruto's torso and another tried to undo his pants. Naruto's brain slammed to a stop; he could not even take in the man's appearance as Naruto forgot he was a shinobi and could defend himself.

"Hey!" Raiden yelled, kicking a man away from Naruto. "Come on!" Raiden yelled pulling Naruto up. "You got to move!"

"What is this place!?" Naruto yelled feeling tears in his eyes as his body felt dirty.

"This is Brasle." Raiden answered. Sasuke watched another woman moving with purpose in each steps towards there group, she walked up to Carver and slapped him across his face. Sasuke could hear the slap over the lous music. The unknown woman huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walked away.

"Yeah..." Carver said rubbing the side of his face, "I deserved that." He muttered. Sasuke looked around the town, it was like a mardi gras on fucking steroids! Kakashi moved with his team as he watched Sakura open a door to a large building. Team seven was quickly rushed in, Carver slammed the door shut. The lights and music were instantly gone, Naruto looked around at his team.

"What the fuck!" Naruto yelled, still flustered from his encounter with that man.

"We told you-"

"You told us shit!" Naruto pointed at Carver. "That-" Naruto pointed to outside. "-is fucking insanity!"

"Eh." Carver shrugged.

"What does that mean!?"

"Nothing." Carver brushed off.

"If there is something wrong here why are those people still partying?" Sasuke wondered.

"They are all probably so drugged up they don't care." Raiden answered.

"What!?" Naruto yelled, causing Carver to roll his eyes.

"You are so innocent." Carver laughed, "Yes, most of those people are high on all kinds of drugs." 

"What..." Naruto looked to the door.

"There were so many people." Sasuke breathed,

"Yeah, this is why we wanted to get here in the morning."

"What?"

"Most of them pass out during the day and it isn't as crazy." Raiden explained.

"You could have told us that!" Naruto yelled.

"You would have laughed and brushed it off." Carver said.

"We would have not!"

"Oh really?" Carver asked. "How dumb do you think we are? 'Hey, we want to get to Brasle before the party starts' you would have laughed."

"Well..." Naruto blushed looking away.

"Reaper-" A voice gathered everyone's attention as they turned around seeing a man bowing. "-right this way please." He said getting up and walking away without waiting another word. The team quickly followed the butler, Sakura and her team were pushed into a large room and the door was slammed shut.

"Damn." Sasuke breathed turning away from the door and saw they stood in a throne room. The room they stood in was surprisingly clean, the floors were a warm shade of brown with a red and gold color scheme. Sasuke noticed the man who sat on the large golden throne with red fabric. He wore a black suit; his left leg was crossed over his right as he leaned against his arm gazing into his group, Sasuke followed his eyes, this man did not care about the men who was just pushed into the room this man locked his eyes on one person and only on her.

"Sakura." His voice was deep as he uncrossed his legs, looking darkly entertained. Sasuke looked at Carver as he formed an uneasy feeling, who the hell was this guy?

"Bow when you're in the presence of Lord Amos!" A servant who stood in the corner yelled.

"Like hell we will." Carver crossed his arms over his chest. Naruto looked around the room feeling the thick tension. Naruto poked Raiden,

"Who is that guy?"

"Amos." Raiden whispered low enough only team seven could hear him. "He runs this place." Naruto looked at the man in the suit, Amos...he had bright red hair and matching eyes. Naruto spotted a long scar running along his right eye.

"And why does he look pissed to see us?" Sasuke joined the conversation.

"We uh..." Carver chuckled. "We didn't leave on good terms here."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke looked back to see Carver.

"You see that scar on him?" Raiden muttered.

"Yeah?"

"Sakura is the one who left that."

"I am starting to think you three have terrible judgement for people!" Sasuke harshly whispered. Kakashi leaned forward, his eyes locked onto Amos.

"Why did you say you all stopped coming here?" Kakashi questioned.

"Him." Carver nodded at Amos.

"Yeah, but why-" Naruto was cut off by Amos speaking up.

"I never thought I would see you again." Amos smiled, getting up from his throne. Kakashi noticed how tense Carver and Raiden became, Kakashi knew there was something being hidden about this mission, what was Sakura's history with this town?

"We hoped we would never see you but you know how life goes."

"I do." Amos agreed with Carver.

"Just tell us what is going on and we will be on our way." Raiden and Carver stepped up, almost blocking Sakura from Amos's sight.

"What?" Amos laughed. "Don't tell me you three are already high!" Team seven snapped their eyes onto the back of Sakura's head. "I thought you got clean!"

"We are painfully sober." Carver laughed, "Just tell us what the fuck you got your nasty ass into so we can be on our way."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You three showed up out of the blue riling up my town with your pretty faces."

"The Waterfall Village got a call from you saying you-"

"I called!" A female voice called out, walking into view was a young girl. She had bright blue hair and brown eyes.

"Etta?" Sakura stepped through the two men. "What the hell-"

"I called the Waterfall Village." She said, Carver quickly explained Etta was Amos's little sister. Sakura and Etta were close back in the day.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because...Because I am pregnant!" Etta blurted out, tears in her eyes.

"Eh?" Naruto tilted his head.

"What have you done Etta?" Amos was amused and that pissed Sakura off.

"I wanted you here for my baby shower." Etta explained, "I knew you wouldn't come unless you thought I was in danger."

"You tricked us here?" Carver balled his fists up.

"I am sorry..." Etta sighed, looking away then back at Sakura. "...but I wanted you here, and I want to make you the Godmother of my child."

"Etta I-" Sakura cut herself off not knowing how to feel in this moment. Sakura cared for Etta like a little sister, she wanted to be there for her but she hated this town and her brother.

"Please!" Etta cried, tears forming in her eyes. "Please stay for my baby shower tonight, then you can go home! Please Sakura!" Sakura glanced at Carver who shrugged, this was her call not his.

"I guess we-" Sakura was cut off by the people she dreaded most running into the room. Three people who helped Amos run this drug hazed town spotted Sakura having heard rumors she and her team had returned.

"Your back!" One man yelled; his skinny arms raised as he ran towards the group. Sakura stepped aside, the man ran past her and into Naruto wrapping him into a surprisingly tight hug. Naruto and the strange man fell to the ground, this was becoming an unformattable recurrence for Naruto. "Huh?" The man looked at Naruto. "You'll do." He smirked.

"I-I will not!" Naruto yelled fighting to get out of the embrace. A blonde woman walked with purpose up to Carver, she wore a thin dress that was also see through with nothing else under it. She moved her hand and slapped Carver across the face. She stuck her nose up in the air and latched onto Sasuke and refused to let go.

"I deserved that." Carver nodded to himself, holding his face. Carver felt bad but this was the reason Sakura brought team seven along with them. Bait to avoid these clinging fuckers, once they had their grip on you, they did not let go. Raiden laughed seeing the last board member practically grinding on Kakashi.

"Get-Get off me!" Naruto yelled trying to crawl away.

"You're so soft!" The man yelled.

"Sakura!" Naruto called for help. Carver could not stop from lightly laughing at team sevens situation.

"You planned this." Raiden realized the reason she brought team seven.

"You're getting slow in your age." Carver muttered.

"Your older than me!" Raiden spat. Amos laughing pulled their attention back to him.

"I have missed your bantering." He said walking off his throne. "Why don't I have my council show your friends around town?"

"I love that idea!" The woman who stuck to Sasuke like glue beamed. "I have the perfect place where we can-"

"Hey!" Raiden turned to team seven who were being dragged away against their will. "Do not eat or drink anything they give you!"

"What!?" Naruto yelled still fighting the strong grip of this skinny man. He was so small how was he so strong!?

"Sakura." Etta called, "Will you please stay?"

"Only for your baby shower." Sakura sighed; Etta jumped in excitement. "But tell your fuck buddies to go easy on my team." Sakura spoke to Amos crossing her arms over her chest, trying to contain anger she felt inside her body.

"Of course." Amos bowed, he turned to a servant. "Go find the council members and warn them to not break their new toys, ok?"

"Yes sir." The servant bowed and jogged out the door.

"Carver, Raiden!" Amos smiled. "You two look so different!"

"Yeah..." Raiden muttered looking away feeling awkward.

"Why don't you to go grab a drink-"

"We are not leaving Sakura." Carver stated, this guy was already back to his old ways!

"He-" Etta stepped in. "-only suggested that because I want to steal Sakura for a few hours, to help me with last minute things for my shower."

"I guess we can go after teams seven." Carver sighed, looking at Sakura trying to read her face if she would be ok with being left alone. She nodded, telling them to go find and rescue Naruto and the others.

"If you need us-" Raiden touched Sakura's shoulder.

"I know." Sakura's voice was light but a deep anger was brewing underneath its fragile surface. Carver and Raiden jogged after team seven, who were in a fight to be freed.

\----

Carver and Raiden ran into a large living room, music blasted and colorful lights flickered. Carver ran over shutting them off as Raiden moved to the couch, pulling Naruto away from his new friend who was trying to shove sweets down his throat.

"Raiden!" The male grinned. "I have missed you! Are you here to join in?"

"Shut up Rye." Raiden snapped as Carver removed Sasuke from the female known as Reim.

"Carver-" Reim grinned, come join us." She patted the large couch,

"I will pass." Carver said pushing Sasuke into Raiden, where was Kakashi?! He was not in this room.

"Where is the masked man?" Carver demanded.

"He uh..." Naruto giggled from behind Carver. "He isn't here." Naruto slurred.

"Fuck!" Carver walked over cupping Naruto's face and looked into his eyes. "What did you give him?!"

"Nothing you haven't had before." Rye winked.

"I was never into your creepy shit." Carver pointed, turning to Raiden. "Come on."

"Wait!" Naruto whined, "Where we going?"

"To find your sensei." Carver answered, walking out of the room looking around not knowing where the fuck to start.

"We told you to not eat anything!" Raiden lectured Sasuke who was playing with Raiden's hair.

"Why?" Naruto blushed leaning against Carver. "There were so many yummy snacks!'

"Yeah, and everyone of them is laced with some type of drug!" Carver snapped, looking at Naruto's eyes again. "Damn, yeah your tripping." Carver sighed.

"Oh, good you found them." Carver and Raiden spun around to see Kakashi behind them.

"Kakashi!" Raiden smiled. "Are you-?"

"I did not eat anything." Kakashi smiled with his eye, "Unlike these two who could not help themselves."

"I can see this." Carver muttered as Naruto rubbed his chest.

"So soft." Naruto breathed; Carver rolled his eyes.

"Where were you?" Raiden asked Kakashi.

"Those four that dragged us out of the throne room, what are they?" Kakashi wondered as they moved to leave the building before they were spotted again.

"They run this town with Amos."

"They were so strong!" Naruto smiled feeling like bubbles and cotton candy.

"This entire town has a shield over it." Carver sighed; his head hurt.

"A shield?" Kakashi asked,

"Yeah, at night it activates. It keeps in all the people tripping out of their minds from running out of the town and causing damage to themselves or others."

"That seems to be responsible." Kakashi pointed.

"Yeah it is, but when the shield is activated Amos and his fuck buddies you met are basically enhanced from it."

"That's why they were so strong?" Kakashi put his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, not to mention they are always stoned out of their minds." Raiden added.

"So why did you all stop coming here?" Kakashi asked again, the five men stood out inside a hall. They turned seeing a door open, Carver and Raiden braced themselves for Rye or Reim to pop out. If they did they needed to run. But instead a woman walked out, her hips swayed as she walked towards them.

"Carver." Her honey voice smiled as she walked up, she slapped him across the face and walked away. Raiden and Kakashi looked from the woman leaving to Carver who nodded,

"I deserved that." He said routing his jaw. "Amos." Carver answered getting back to the conversation

"Care to elaborate on that?" Kakashi asked.

"You know that we use to come here and party."

"Yes." Kakashi said.

"Well one night we were all really fucked up and Amos tried to move on Sakura, she did not go for it. But Amos didn't like being told no, so when we all passed out Sakura woke up to Amos trying to have his way with her." Carver sighed; this was a shitty mission.

"That's how he got that mark on his face." Kakashi understood.

"Yeah, ever since that night we stopped coming here." Raiden said pulling Sasuke away from playing with his hair. "But Etta and Sakura were close so she came here to make sure she was ok."

"And the reason for bringing us?" Kakashi wondered.

"Well..." Raiden's voice was high.

"You used my team as bait to avoid those people?" Kakashi glared down onto the two men.

"No!" Carver laughed, "Bait is a strong word, and I don't like to point fingers it isn't like they were in any real danger-"

"Where is Sakura?" Kakashi cut in, he needed to have a conversation with her.

"I have no idea!" Carver smiled coping Naruto as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We came after you three."

"No that you mention it..." Raiden thought for a second, "We have been all over this place and saw no set up for a baby shower." The three sober men looked around at each other as an uneasiness filled their stomachs.

"Thank you Sakura, for staying." Etta said. The two women were inside Etta's room,

"Sure." Sakura said, looking over at Etta. "How far along are you?" Sakura wondered seeing Etta was not showing.

"A month or two." Etta sighed sitting beside Sakura on the couch, handing her a full cup.

"And you're having a baby shower this early because...?" Sakura trailed off.

"You know how it is here, nothing is ever permanent and I just want to enjoy this now just in case..." Etta voice's cut off looking away.

"Hey-" Sakura touched Etta's knee. "You know you can come to the Waterfall Village with me. You'll be safer there than here."

"I-I couldn't..." Etta sighed.

"Why?"

"Because..." Etta trailed off racking her brain for words to say. Sakura took a sip of the sweet drink as she studied Etta. "Because as crazy as it may seem this place is my home, you understand right?" Sakura nodded, fully understanding that fact. While building the waterfall village from the ground up Sakura never pictured it would be how it was now. She loved that it grew to be a strong and independent force but constantly looking over her shoulder to see if someone was going to try and claim her job was getting old as it was exhausting.

"I understand." Sakura slightly smiled, "How have you been these past few years?"

"I have been good." Etta said quickly.

"And the father?" Sakura asked, taking another drink of the cup. "Is he in the picture or...?"

"He is." Etta laughed. "His name is Ike; he is such a sweet man...which you know is hard to find nowadays especially inside this town." Etta laughed.

"I'm happy for you." Sakura smiled, "I always wondered what happened to you."

"Yeah." Etta had a sad smile on her face. "You just left, without ever looking back."

"I tried to bring you with me." Sakura said.

"I know but..." Etta sighed, "You know this is my home, I can't leave it."

"I respected your decision." Sakura nodded,

"And I thank you for that, how have you been?" Etta asked playing with the glass in her sweaty hand.

"I have been fine."

"Fine." Etta laughed. "Because of you I hate that word!"

"What else am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know! Details of like what have you been doing the past three years?"

"Just...running the Waterfall Village."

"That's it?!"

"Pretty much."

"No romantic relationships?! Anything juicy to tell me!?" Etta gushed causing Sakura to laugh.

"No, relationships are hard to maintain when you're always working, plus most men are too scared to come around me."

"What about Carver and Raiden?" Etta teased.

"I don't see them like that."

"Why!? Carver is so hot! He looks like the type that would tie you down, choke you and finish the job."

"He is like my brother."

"So!?" Etta laughed, "Stop seeing him like that and get laid!"

"Etta!" Sakura laughed. "I don't need to-"

"Think that all you want but you have needs that should be met too! What a better way to do it than with a man who is always around you!?"

"Carver is my brother." Sakura answered. "I could never..." Kakashi flashed into Sakura's mind. "I could never be with him romantically." Sakura looked over at Etta as Sakura took another long drink from her cup.

"Whatever you say." Etta leaned against the arm of the couch. "I think you should do it." Sakura laughed running a hand through her long hair, she finished off her drink and looked around Etta's room. "I wonder where your team went." Etta wondered out loud. Sakura laughed; her muscles relaxed as she leaned against the couch.

"Knowing Carver and Sasuke I would say they are taking full advantage of this town."

"Oh?" Etta's interest peaked. "What about the other two?"

"Other two?" Sakura slurred her words, not realizing it. "Naruto-" Sakura laughed at the thought of him being inside this wild party town. "-he is probably huddled in a corner somewhere!" Sakura laughed harder.

"What about the masked one?"

"Kakashi." Sakura nodded, not knowing what he would do.

"Hey, have you seen his face?" Etta wondered, leaning into Sakura.

"No." Sakura shook her head, "I don't think anyone has."

"Wow...that is hot." Etta smiled.

"What?" Sakura laughed. "You think the mask thing is attractive?"

"Hell yeah!" Etta nodded with a chuckle on her voice. "I would call him daddy."

"Who would you call daddy?" A deep voice came from the door behind the two women, they turned and Sakura's stomach dropped seeing Amos leaning against the doorframe.

"No-No one." Etta said quickly standing. Amos walked into the room, reaching Etta he tilted her chin up to look at him.

"I am the only one you get to call 'daddy'." Amos said in a demanding tone.

"What the fuck?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together as she stood, she looked between Etta and Amos. Etta had shrunk down and kept her eyes on the floor. Sakura knew what was happening. "I am going-" Sakura stopped speaking as the room began to spin. She dropped to one knee as her muscles felt like they were liquifying inside her skin and her bones were jelly, Sakura fell onto her side.

"You're going to what?" Amos smiled down at Sakura who felt so confused, she didn't eat or drink anything that could have been laced with - Sakura snapped her eyes to Etta. "Look at that!" Amos laughed turning to his sister, "She figured it out so quickly!"

"I am sorry Sakura." Etta breathed looking away from the pinkett.

"What-?" Sakura's words slurred out of her mouth.

"He didn't give me a choice!" Etta swore.

"You're not pregnant." Sakura realized, Etta looking away from Sakura provided her the answer, this was all a trick. "Why?" Sakura breathed, she trusted Etta...

"He has Ike in jail..." Etta hugged herself. "He said if I didn't get you here and have you drink that stuff then he was going to kill him and when I refused, he agreed to let Ike and I leave this town, please Sakura understand-" Sakura struggled to move her limbs as the drugs that spiked her drink were beginning to fully kick in.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Sakura struggled to stay awake. "I would have protected you." Sakura's breathing was raspy.

"Etta!" A male voice yelled, running into the room.

"Ike!" Etta ran into the arms of a scruffy looking male. Amos turned to the two guards standing in the doorway.

"Take Commander Haruno here to my room." Amos's evil smile bloomed on his lips as Sakura's eyes widened. The two guards did as told, being cautious when they lifted her from the ground knowing full well, she was the Reaper. Etta and Ike ran the opposite way as Amos who followed the guards who carried Sakura. It did not take them long to find his room and lay her on his bed. "Make sure to keep that annoying team of hers away from this wing."

"Yes sir." They bowed and quickly moved out of the room, closing the door.

"When I get up-" Sakura growled, seeing Amos undoing his tie. "-I am going to carve you to pieces!" Amos chuckled, as he made his way over to the bed and opened the drawer on the in table. He pulled out a case and set it on the table, inside the cade were seven shiny needles all waiting to be used.

"What makes you think you'll be getting up from this?" A vile smile rested on Amos lips as he ran his fingers along Sakura's arm. "I am will make sure you are nice and drugged every day." He grinned, "You will never be leaving this room again."

Sakura laughed.

"I am going to not going to just graze you this time." Sakura smiled, "I am going to take my time and show you why I am called the Reaper."

"Oh, don't tease me." Amos leaned, licking Sakura's cheek. "I don't like being teased." Amos raised Sakura's arms above her head as he began to tie her to the headboard of his bed. "I hope your not thinking your team will be swooping in to save you-" Amos sneered, "-they are long gone inside a world of sex and drugs just like last time. You know how acceptable Carver and Raiden can be."

"You don't know anything about us." Sakura spat.

"That may be true..." Amos sighed, his fingers trailed down Sakura's shoulder, onto her arm, and over her stomach as he lifted her shirt slightly. Amos groaned at the feel of Sakura's soft hot flesh against his. "...but I'll know every inch of your body soon enough." Sakura fought against the restraints but she had no strength in her body. "Fight all you want, that cocktail Etta gave you will last a beautiful twelve hours, and after that I will give you dose after dose. I would give you just enough to where you didn't know where you were but I won't lie to you, I love when woman fights." Sakura smiled. "Oh?" Amos lifted Sakura's chin forcing her to look at him, her eyes were dull due to the drugs infecting her blood. "What is that little smile for?"

"I am just thinking..."

"About?"

"About when I get loose, how I am going to enjoy watching you suffocate when I cut your dick off and shove it down your throat!" Sakura glared.

"God, I have missed that fire!" Amos moved forward, pressing his lips against Sakura's, she bit down against his soft bottom lip causing blood to spill out of the cut. Amos backed away quickly, anger laced his eyes as he held his fingers to his lip. "You bitch!" Amos venomous voice leaked into the opening. "You will learn your place-!" Amos's voice was muffled as a kunai found its way into his side. He fell sideways off the bed, Sakura's eyes were wide has her mind struggled to process what just happened. She felt a pair of hands touching her, she looked over to see a masked face cutting her binds.

"Kakashi?" She breathed as he picked her up out of the bed. Amos jumped screaming for his guards to enter the room.

"Your friends are not going to be able to join us." Kakashi said.

"What?" Amos gasped. "What-What happened to them all!?"

"Your friends wouldn't let me through so..." Kakashi closes his one exposed eye, "...I had to be a little mean with them." Kakashi and Amos both turned to the open door, bodies laid in front of it. Kakashi smiled, "Sorry about that." He called to them.

"What-Who are you!?" Amos demanded as he pulled out Kakash's kunai from his side. Kakashi opened his eye and turned to Amos,

"Kakashi Hatake, of the Leaf Village."

"L-Leaf Village?" Amos glanced at Sakura who Kakashi was holding. "This does not concern you shinobi!" Amos waved his hand. "Leave at once and I will not hold any regrets against your village!"

"Regrets?" Kakashi muttered, he then chuckled which sent shivers down Amos's spine. Kakashi moved and placed Sakura down on the large bed.

"Good-" Amos nodded. "Now go-"

"You seem to be mistaken." Kakashi stood, turning to face Amos, "On any other day I would give you a warning and tell you to not touch Sakura again should you do; I would not hesitate to defend her but-" Kakashi said moving his headband up revealing his mangeko sharingan eye. "-you have already run out of chances."

"What-?" Amos as barely able to get out of the of Kakashi's kunai as he moved forward to strike Amos down. "Why are you-"

"You do not get to touch Sakura." Kakashi glared, Amos's blood ran cold as he was trapped inside Kakashi's mangeko sharingan. "You had her friend drug her, you tied her down and were ready to rape her over and over again, you're a piece of filth this world doesn't need." Kakashi said as deep hatred blossomed inside him and moments later Amos dropped to the ground unmoving. Kakashi turned after picking Sakura up from the bed and left the room, stepping over the bodies as he left the building.

Kakashi sat on a rooftop watching the sunrise with Sakura in his lap asleep. Carver wasn't lying, once the sun comes up people flood out of the street or just pass out in the middle of the road. Kakashi shook his head, how could anyone want to be in a place like this? Kakashi couldn't see Sakura hanging out here, it just didn't fit her but on the other hand it was becoming clear Kakashi knew nothing about this Sakura, not by a long shot.

As Sakura opened her eyes, she felt her head pounding. She could see over Brasle's gate and see the line between the earth and sunrise. Sakura's mouth felt dry as she tried to grasp where she was. She snapped her eyes open wide hearing his heartbeat, she felt the warmth of his body making her heart flutter. Kakashi's vest was unzipped as she was laying inside of it resting her head on his black long sleeve shirt. Time didn't touch her as she laid against Kakashi listening to his heartbeat which seems a little fast, he was warm against the cool air. After sometime Sakura tried to push herself off of him. Her head was foggy as her movements were jeered.

"Sakura." He breathed, holding his arms out ready to catch her.

"Where are we?" Her voice was shaky, Kakashi almost didn't recognize the voice, her voice had always been so strong and stable since she returned into his life.

"On a roof." Kakashi smiled with his closed eye.

"A roof?" Sakura muttered, trying to understand what was said.

"Yes, this is a very unsafe town." Kakashi commented.

"Mm." Sakura responded as she sat up, she noticed she was in-between Kakashi's legs. She felt herself heat up as she moved but her limbs still weak from the drugs she was fed, she fell against Kakashi who simply wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady. "Kakashi." Sakura groaned out, feeling extremely tired.

"It's ok." He breathed, wrapping both arms around her hugging her tight. "I'm here." Sakura's heart fluttered as she laid back against Kakashi, her heart pounded so hard inside her chest she didn't know what to do except remain still.

Kakashi stayed unnoticed on the old roof of that building for hours as Sakura slept. Kakashi watched the town of Brasle, who was a very interesting bunch of collected individuals. Kakashi wondered where the other members of his team went as he pulled out a granola bar from his vest pocket, he was hungry. Kakashi slid his mask down as he ate his snack, he watched Sakura sleep against him, he smiled at the sleeping woman. Kakashi leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead.


	12. Chapter 12

"Sakura!?" Etta gasped, I studied her for a moment as I felt like I had missed something important while babysitting team seven. I crossed my arms over my chest watching Sakura lean against Kakashi with his arm around her.

"What the hell happened!?" I asked moving forward to check on Sakura. I touched her face, but she didn't respond. "What happened to her?!"

"Amos." Kakashi answered. "And her-" Kakashi nodded to Etta.

"Wh-What?!" She gasped backing away.

"What did you do to her!?" I yelled, balling my fist up as I felt rage bubble in my chest.

"She drugged Sakura." Kakashi said, my mouth dropped open as I turned to see if Kakashi was just fucking with me. "She then allowed Amos to try and kidnap her, he planned to tie her down and drug her nonstop making her compliant to his needs."

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I yelled at Etta, charging up to her. Ike her little man toy got in my way.

"Carver listen-" He said my name, but I ignored him punching him in the gut, he coughed as he fell to the ground.

"Carver." Sakura breathed. I snapped around hearing how weak her voice was. "Let's just leave." Sakura said looking up at me.

"What did they drug her with?" I asked moving towards them.

"I don't know." Kakashi shrugged. "She has slept most of it off though." I leaned down,

"Sak, are you sure you can get us there? We can go camp out while this stuff gets out of your system." I said. Sakura smirked, she looked up at me with a rage burning in her eyes it made me take a step back.

"If I don't get out of this town, I am going to burn it to the ground." Sakura spat.

"Got it." I nodded. "Let's go." I waved, rounding everyone up so Sakura could transport us to the leaf village through her seals. As wind began to pick up around us, I had to say I loved this trick of Sakura's. It saved us so much time and energy! Seconds later the wind vanished from circling around us and we were inside the leaf villages arena. Nice, I smiled turning to look behind me but frowned seeing Naruto and Sasuke looking pissed off.

"Yay!" Raiden smiled, not noticing team seven's expressions. "We didn't have to walk all the way back-" He shut up, seeing their faces. "Are you two still-"

"No!" Naruto snapped, waving away Raiden's hand. I rolled my eyes, here we go. "What the hell Sakura!" Naruto half whined as he yelled out. "You used us as bait for those grabby touchy people!?"

"Yeah." Sakura shrugged it off. I sighed, shaking my head that was not the right thing to say to leaf shinobi.

"How-How could you!?" Naruto yelled, flinching. I almost laughed seeing he had hurt his own head with his high-pitched voice. Sakura didn't respond and that was because she was used to being used as bait, as was Carver and myself. Kaguya used us like worms on hooks and as long as we didn't die it was fine. Naruto and Sasuke began to lecture Sakura and I knew this was not going to end well. What interested me was Kakashi hung back, his hands in his pockets just watching. He was the first to find out the reason team seven went with us to Brasle and at the time he seemed angry but now he looked relaxed like always. I wondered why...

"Don't you care what we think of you?!" Naruto yelled.

"You can fear me or love me." Sakura blankly watched Naruto's reaction as she shrugged. "It's all the same to me." There it was again! She was forcing this cold shoulder behavior. I watched as Sakura walked away, she was not someone who took being lectured lightly. If this was the waterfall village, she would have torn Sasuke and Naruto apart, but she didn't.

"I can't believe her!" Naruto fumed.

"Why is she even in this village still?" Sasuke shook his head, for him to show emotion he had to be pissed. "How is someone like her a Commander? She is clearly a psychopath-"

"Hey-" I cut in. "-it's really easy to stand there judging her isn't it?" I found myself sneering.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke mocked.

"You three are the fucking reason she is who she is!" I snapped, tired of hearing people putting Sakura down. Yes, she appeared to be cold and distant but that isn't who she was! "You all are confusing her personality with her attitude. Her personality is who she is, but her attitude depends on yourself and you three are what broke her! You can't stand there and-"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, stepping closer to me.

"All you three have been doing since Sakura returned is judge her on everything she does! You haven't stopped and thought about what it had to take for her to be where she is today. You're the ones who stripped her of everything she once was. You are the reason she had to rip herself apart as that twisted bitch Kaguya rebuilt her into a soldier, if you hadn't noticed you selfish bastards, she doesn't call herself a shinobi or a ninja she sees herself as a tool for war." I locked eyes with Kakashi. "That is what Kaguya built out of your student."

"I..." Naruto looked away; I could see the guilt in his eyes.

"It took The Nine so long to get through to her." I shook my head. "We had to reach past all of Kaguya's fucked up training and trauma and it took even longer for her to get use to us because she doesn't trust easily anymore and you all expect her to open her soul to you in the first week of getting her back in your life's." I laughed, "It took her two years to get use to me, for her to like me and for me to move past a simple soldier and tool to be used because that is how she was trained to see people. Using you as bait is normal for her because Kaguya used Sakura as bait all the time." Team seven looked at each other, questioning themselves.

Sakura was not inside the apartment we were using when Naruto and Sasuke walked in. I looked from the pizza box as I stuffed a large slice in my mouth. Naruto looked glum. I sighed, rolling my eyes as I sat down on the couch next to them setting the pizza box on the coffee table. I leaned back as Naruto grabbed a slice.

"What's wrong?" Raiden asked with a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth." I lectured, he stuck his tongue out at me.

"We got assigned another mission." Sasuke sighed.

"Really?" I was surprised. "You all just got back."

"That is what we said but we have to go meet Team Eight and assist them with an escort of some rare statue because it is proving to be more difficult than they thought or something..." Sasuke said grabbing a slice of pizza.

"Wheres um..." Naruto spoke up. "Where is Sakura?"

"Hokage Tower." I answered.

"We were just there." Sasuke looked annoyed.

"She is in a room Tsunade loaned her. She is talking to Dawn."

"Dawn is..." Naruto tried to remember.

"Sakura's second in Command." I reminded him.

"Oh." Naruto nodded; it was starting to come to him.

"She talks to her a lot." Sasuke commented. I nodded, agreeing.

"Yeah, well...it is hard running a village so..." I trailed off letting them think what they wanted, they would anyway.

"What are you two going to be doing?" Sasuke wondered.

"Well Sakura sent Zander and Annora on some mission I really wasn't listening so we will be stationed here." I said,

"Will Sakura remain here?" Naruto muttered; I could see my words from earlier were still rattling inside his head affecting him.

"I am sure she will go between villages." Raiden said grabbing a second slice. "But it is clear the Reapers want something from this village, this is the best chance at catching them so I bet Sakura will be hanging out here at least until the Reapers try to attack."

"And after?" Naruto sounded so unsure of himself which wasn't like him from what I knew.

"That is up to you guys." Raiden said.

"How so?" Sasuke wondered.

"Depends if you get her to want to stay around when there isn't a reason too." Raiden explained further. The two members of team seven nodded,

"When do you ship out?" I asked.

"In two hours!" Naruto groaned plopping against the back of the couch.

"Shouldn't you be ya know...getting ready for your mission?" Raiden laughed.

"Yeah..." Naruto said, groaning as he pulled himself up. I stood as well,

"Where you going?" Raiden asked.

"I'm going to check on Sakura."

"Why?"

"Well she was drugged so..." I trailed off with a smirk.

"Yeah-Yeah." Raiden muttered eating more pizza, it was his favorite thing to eat. I made my way to the Hokage Tower and saw Sakura was not inside her conference room.

"Are you looking for Commander Haruno?" I turned, seeing Shizune I believed was her name.

"Yes, do you know where she is?"

"She is with the Lady Tsunade."

"The Hokage?" My voice was flat, out of everyone inside this village I knew Tsunade to be Sakura's least favorite person for understandable reasons.

"I am headed there now; you can follow me." Shizune smiled.

"Thanks." I said, maybe Raiden's little party was useful after all. Tsunade's assistant lead me into her office and there I saw Sakura was placing a small glass bottle onto Tsunade's desk.

"What is this?" Tsunade wondered, poking it with her pen.

"My blood." Sakura answered.

"Er..." Tsunade quickly pulled away from it, I had to muffle my laugh and look away from the two women who glared at me. "Why is there a bottle of your blood on my desk?" Tsunade sounded uneasy.

"Because you may need it." Sakura explained.

"Uh...Why?"

"We are leaving." Sakura said, taking me off guard.

"We are leaving?" I asked, Sakura turned back to me, her gaze told me to shut the fuck up until we were alone, which I did. I leaned against the wall as Sakura turned back to Tsunade.

"There is a seal on the west side of your village, on the wall of your gate. The closer you get to it with that bottle the brighter the symbol with appear. You have to throw that bottle on the seal for it to activate. A dome will then appear over your village giving it a layer of protection giving me time to get here."

"I don't understand-"

"But if you do activate it, understand there will be no way for anyone except me to take it down, no one in and no one will be allowed to go out of it. Once my seal is activated without me powering it, the seal will only last two days." Sakura explained.

"I see." Tsunade said looking at the bottle in front of her. "Do you plan to be gone long or...?"

"I don't know." Sakura answered, "But just in case since I need to take Carver and Raiden with me, and I don't have another black op team to station here this is the best I can do."

"I understand, thank you Sakura." Tsunade smiled Sakura turned, and I followed her as we left the tower. I patiently waited to be filled in on where we will be going. Sakura led us to the apartment we were using, I assumed to collect Raiden. We got off the elevator seeing Naruto and Sasuke standing outside Kakashi's door. I glanced back at Sakura,

"Everything alright?" I asked, they turned to me.

"Kakashi isn't answering." Naruto sighed, bags on their backs had it already been two hours? Where does the time go?

"I wonder if he is ok?" I thought out loud, I watched Sakura's eye twitch. I knew I would get a reaction out of her, for some reason when it came to Kakashi she always reacted. Sakura moved past Naruto and Sasuke as she swiftly unlocked his apartment door.

"How did you do that!?" Naruto breathed.

"You two are shinobi and can't pick open a door?" I asked walking past them into the apartment. I stood beside Sakura as we glanced around the apartment, which had the same layout the one we were using did. I moved to walk into the bedroom I felt Sakura following me since there was no other place to look. I flicked the light on about to turn around and question Naruto and Sasuke if they had looked anywhere else inside the village for Kakashi. I stopped seeing Sakura's shocked expression written clear on her face. I didn't understand why I was seeing this until I quickly followed her gaze towards the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.

My mouth dropped open, seeing another sensei known as Kurenai I believed her name to be naked grinding away on top of Kakashi. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. It took a solid minute for the two shinobi to notice they had an audience. Kurenai had a nice rack I could see why Kakashi would nail that, I would if I had the chance. Kurenai jumped off Kakashi pulling his blanket up to cover her body. I tilted my head, Kakashi still wore a shirt and his mask when he was banging his girlfriend? Maybe Sakura was right maybe he was a closet pervert.

"What the hell are you doing in here!?" Kurenai demanded, her face red from unknowingly giving us a show.

"We-We" Naruto was bright red; he was so innocent it was almost cute.

"We have a mission." Sasuke looked unaffected, expected nothing less from the village whore. I wonder is Sasuke has slept with Kurenai...I would put my money on yes, the boy got around.

"Is-Is this why your always late!?" Naruto exploded, well he recovered from his embarrassment quickly. I turned my head and saw Sakura wasn't here anymore, when the hell did she leave?

"Get out!" Kurenai yelled, leaning onto Kakashi.

"Kakashi!"

"Out." Kakashi agreed with Kurenai. I followed the three out of the room laughing as we left. This was funny! I sighed; I needed that laugh. I needed to find Sakura and find out what we were going to be doing. I walked into the apartment to see her packing her bag.

"Do we have a mission?" I asked.

"I don't know yet." She answered.

"Er..."

"The Iron Village contacted Dawn."

"Dawn?" I walked closer to Sakura.

"Yeah, something up." Sakura explained and I nodded.

"Alright, when are we leaving?" I smiled but she appeared distant, more than usual.

"After Team Seven leaves." Sakura explained.

"Any particular reason for that?"

"Because they are morons." Sakura furrowed her brows together as she turned, I caught the look of hurt on her face. I stood in my spot for a moment, I looked in the direction of Kakashi's apartment and then back to Sakura. "No..." I drew out turning to study Sakura. "Do you have..." This sounded weird "Do you have feeling for him?" I asked slowly, I watched Sakura's shoulder tense and I thought my mouth dropped before, it damn near hit the floor as I watched Sakura move around the apartment collecting our things. I looked back to Kakashi's apartment and then back to Sakura. "I-I am so sorry-"

"Carver." Sakura stated my name. "Get ready."

"Sakura, I am sure he-" She shot me a glare shutting me up, if Kakashi held feelings for Sakura why is he next door fucking another woman? I got it, I backed off and began packing. "But why wait until Team Seven-"

"Because you know how reckless they are." Sakura snapped, she was one of the best to conceal what she was feeling but for once I could see through her mask and the image of Kurenai on top of Kakashi was replaying through her mind cutting her like a razor each time it looped through her brain. I didn't know what to do, or how to comfort her...Sakura and I weren't the touchy feely type of people. That's why Raiden got so close to Naruto so quickly because he was the opposite of us. "If they knew we were leaving they would fight us or fight Tsunade to stay and see us off, or they would pester on when we would be back or fuck up their mission trying to get back quicker to see us and that could end up getting them killed. It is easier if they think we are just sitting here on our ass." Maybe if Kakashi could see these pieces of Sakura, the part where she did what she could in order to keep them safe...maybe then he wouldn't be screwing Kurenai.

"Hey!" Raiden walked in. "I am gonna walk Team Seven to the gates, you guys wanna come?" I looked at Sakura who was walking into the bedroom. I couldn't recall a person Sakura felt something for other than a family like Raiden and I. I groaned, moving too quickly following Raiden. The walk to the front gate was weird, Naruto and Sasuke was tease Kakashi about something all men wanted...it honestly didn't make sense to me...

"Looks like Sakura won't be here to send you guys off." Raiden muttered looking around.

"I wasn't expecting her too." Sasuke shrugged.

"Hey." I defended her.

"What?" Sasuke laughed, "It's pretty clear she hates us-"

"She doesn't hate you." I said feeling myself get defensive.

"Oh really?" Sasuke laughed. "How do you figure?"

"She is warming up to you." Raiden agreed.

"How!?" Naruto really wanted to know.

"Him." I nodded towards Kakashi.

"Huh?" Naruto and Sasuke said. I groaned; they really knew nothing about her!

"Sakura has this thing..." Raiden shrugged. "She teaches it back in the Waterfall Village."

"What thing?" Sasuke asked.

"If they stand behind you, then you protect them." I smiled, remembering her drill this into my head during training.

"If they stand beside you, respect them." Raiden smiled looking at me.

"If they stand against you, defeat them." Raiden and I said together.

"That's cute and all but, what does that have to do with us?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. I gestured with my head at Kakashi again,

"She allowed him to walk beside her." I explained,

"And back with Cedney." Raiden stepped in. "Naruto, she let you walk beside her."

"So that means...she respects us?" Naruto tried to spell out this new logic.

"Yeah." I laughed, I looked at the ground and sighed. "I do too." I looked up at them. "Maybe I have been a little hard to get along with-"

"A little?" Sasuke crossed his arms.

"But understand our point of view, what happened to Sakura was kind of fucked up."

"I agree." Naruto nodded,

"But...you guys are kind of cool...I guess." I sighed,

"Aw!" Naruto jumped, hugging me tightly, I groaned not liking this. After a moment I patted his back.

"Ok...get away from me now." I said causing him to laugh.

"We love you guys too!" Naruto laughed with a huge smile on his face that reminded me of lemons.

"Now get going!" Raiden smiled,

"Will you guys be here when we get back?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah we aint going anywhere." I sighed. "We are stuck on babysitting duty." Naruto laughed, saying he would get me back for that one as team seven turned and walked away. Raiden and I waved until they were out of sight. "Get your bag." I turned and walked away from the front gate. 

"What?!" Raiden yelled after me.

"We have a mission." I explained.

"But we just said that we would be here-"

"We told them what they needed to hear so they could focus on their mission." I said Sakura's words to him.

"Where is Sakura sending us now?" Raiden sighed.

"We are going with her." I said,

"Huh? Another missing with us all together? That isn't like her at all." Raiden said,

"No, it's not." I muttered, I couldn't help but think that the Sakura we grew to know and loved wouldn't be around much longer, and I generally hoped this fact was true. The leaf village was rubbing off on her in a positive note, opening her up and making her more inviting in her own scary way. The Sakura I knew that not most people knew about was fucking fantastic. I missed her, maybe the leaf village was the answer to getting her back.


	13. Chapter 13

"Finally!" I yelled throwing my arms up in the air. "We are home!" I laughed looking around, it felt like forever since we have been home! Kakashi and Sasuke who were both looking tired were looking at me annoyed.

"Shut up dope." Sasuke muttered as we walked into the village, I rolled my eyes at him. I could not wait to get home and tell Sakura about our mission! I felt so such more confidant in myself now that I knew she respected me and didn't hate me as such as I believed her too.

I couldn't wait to see her! I just couldn't wait! I ran through the leaf village excitement flowing through my veins. I didn't feel tired from my mission at all as I ran through the streets and to my apartment building. I knocked on her door.

"Sakura!" I called, jumping up and down. "Sakura we are home!" I called again knocking. I heard Kakashi and Sasuke behind me after a moment of me staring at her door, I looked around to see them.

"It is past midnight Naruto, maybe she is asleep." Kakashi said, opening his door. I ran past him and into his apartment. "Naruto!" Kakashi groaned sounding tired. I looked at the hole in his wall, it was only halfway fixed. "Oh good they are repairing it, finally." Kakashi said dropping his bag. Sasuke followed us into Kakashi's place as I jumped through the hole in the wall. It was dark inside Sakura's apartment.

"Sakura?" I asked looking around, I found the light switched and flicked it on. I looked around the room and saw it was empty. I walked into her room and no one was there. I sat on her couch feeling defeated as sadness filled my heart.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked, walking into the apartment.

"They are gone Kakashi." I said quietly,

"So, it seems." I felt the tears in my eyes.

"They didn't tell us goodbye!" I cried out, wiping tears away.

"Maybe they had to leave in a hurry." Kakashi said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "She is the commander of a village, Carver and Raiden are a part of that army, maybe something came up in a hurry?" I nodded my head at his words. "We will ask Tsunade in the morning. Ok?" I nodded my head again.

"Good. Now go get some rest Naruto." Kakashi said, all I could do was nod, I was so crush that they were not here. I was so excited to see Sakura after Carver explained she was warming up to us, but she was not even here. How long ago did she leave? Why did they leave? When will she be back? Will they come back? All these questions bounced around in my head as I left through Kakashi's apartment and I went to mine

The morning sun shined bright. I groaned and rolled over hiding under my blanket. I slowly opened my eyes and groaned at the morning sun. I slowly sat up rubbing my face with my hands, trying to wake myself up. I looked around my bedroom, my clock read 11:47 am. I sighed and got out of bed and walked into my bathroom. I already knew I was going to be late meeting up with Kakashi and Sasuke. We all were supposed to meet up at noon, get a little training done and then see Tsunade after she got out of her meeting, I wanted to know if Sakura said anything to her about her, Carver and Raiden leaving. Did she say when she would be back? Kakashi is always late so I wasn't rushing out my door. I will just have to deal Sasuke lecturing me which I could handle. I yawned, covering my mouth as I left my apartment after a half hour. I made it to the training grounds feeling peaceful until I saw the dark cloud engulfing Sasuke who leaned against a tree.

"Um..." I muttered to myself, looking behind me...I could run...

"Why-!" Sasuke yelled...ah, fuck I was too late. I slowly turned to see Sasuke moving towards me. "-am I the only one who cares to show up on time with half my team is always fucking late!?" Sasuke ranted, I fully understood I underestimated how pissed he was going to be.

"He-Hey Sasuke..." I nervously laughed, rubbing the back of my neck. "...what's up?"

"I have morons for teammates!" Sasuke snapped. "That's what's up!"

"What...?" I drew out looking anywhere but Sasuke's steamed face. "...No..."

"Where is Kakashi!?" Sasuke snapped.

"I don't know." I answered, looking at him as I plopped onto the ground. "I came right here after waking up."

"Unbelievable." Sasuke muttered walking past me.

"Where you going?" I called after him, following him as we left the training grounds.

"I don't believe Kakashi will be here anytime soon so we might as well just leave-"

"Where will I not be?" I spun around to see Kakashi standing behind us with his hands in his pockets looking at us with a blank stare.

"Hey Kakashi!" I smiled.

"Good morning Naruto." Kakashi nodded.

"It's noon." Sasuke glared.

"To some people this is morning." Kakashi told Sasuke who just rolled his eyes and looked away. 

"Are we going to Tsunade's office or what?" Sasuke switched subjects.

"There is no need too." Kakashi was calm.

"Wait, what!?" I shouted, feeling my heart rate pick up.

"I already spoke with her." Kakashi explained.

"Without us!?" I accused.

"She summoned me there." Kakashi defended.

"So, she told you why those three took off?" Sasuke asked.

"More or less." Kakashi was always so vague!

"What does that mean!" I yelled feeling frustrated.

"Sakura didn't give Tsunade a lot of details." Kakashi said,

"Well what did she tell her?" Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Sakura explained something about a seal that is around the Leaf Village and how to activate it, she took Carver and Raiden with her and that was all that was said, it is unclear when or if they will return." Kakashi willingly spelt out.

"When did she leave?" I asked, my heart felt like it was sinking to the bottom of my stomach.

"Not very long after we did." Kakashi answered, a faded image of Sakura's face ran through my mind. My stomach felt upset as I looked away from Kakashi.

"They knew..." I whispered, remembering Carver and Raiden who seen us off. "Those two knew they would be leaving!" I tightened my fists. They lied to us!

"Hey-" Sasuke said, I ignored him.

"Well I have some things for Tsunade I have to do." Kakashi sighed, "So I cannot stick around for training today."

"I don't think Naruto is up for it anyway." Sasuke muttered.

"I will see you two later." Kakashi waved, leaving Sasuke and I alone in the training grounds. Sasuke sighed sounding annoyed after a long second of silence.

"Do you want to go get some ramen?" Sasuke asked me.

"...No..." I pouted, "...ramen ichiraku is closed today." I further explained.

"You would know that." Sasuke shook his head. "I heard there was a new café that opened up not too long ago and it sounds good, you want to grab lunch?" I knew Sasuke was trying to make me feel better in his own way...I smiled slightly, nodding my head as Sasuke spun around on his heel and I followed him.

Sasuke had been right, there was a new upcoming café inside the leaf village, and it was quite popular. I knew a girl by the name of Tamaki moved into the village a few months ago with her grandmother and they opened the café three weeks ago. Sasuke and I walked into the shop and looked around. It was a modern design, I nodded liking the atmosphere. There were three couches spread through the shop, little sofa chairs were placed beside the couches and coffee tables. Small tables and chairs were against the wall providing more seating. There was a bar against the wall, I followed Sasuke to it. We placed our order and the Tamaki girl smiled as she said she would call out our names when the food was ready.

It was slow since most people were in school, at work or training right now. Sasuke and I picked the couch closest to the door and took a seat. I liked this place.

"Hey!" I looked up seeing TenTen and Hinata waving to us as they walked in.

"Hey guys." I said watching them come and sit on the couch across from us.

"What are you doing here?" TenTen asked us.

"Lunch." I smiled as my stomach growled. Hinata giggled as she looked away from me. "What about you guys?"

"We are meeting a few people here." TenTen explained pulling out her phone.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah, I thought you two had training with Kakashi-Sensei today?" TenTen wondered, explaining why Sasuke and I weren't invited.

"No, he got pulled into some stuff with Tsunade." Sasuke answered.

"I didn't know you two would be here." I looked at the direction of the door, Kiba and Neji were standing in front of us. I smiled.

"Hey guys." I said. Neji and TenTen went to the bar and ordered food as Kiba and I talked.

"Naruto!" I heard my name get called, I smiled jumping up as I told Sasuke I would grab his food I made my way to the bar.

"Sai?" I tilted my head seeing him sitting at the bar rail, I hadn't noticed him come in.

"Hey." He said taking a drink of his beer, I raised an eyebrow to him.

"You don't normally drink." I commented,

"Yeah well, there is a first for everything." Sai sounded more depressing than usual.

"Are you ok?" I asked him, he sighed and looked down at the bar with sadness in his eyes.

"No."

"You want to talk about it?" Sai turned around to look at the group of people collecting by Sasuke.

"Everyone looks so happy." Sai reminded me of Eeyore in winnie the pooh.

"Er...why don't you come join us?" I offered, looking down at the plate of food which was growing colder by the second.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Ok...?"

"I can't watch her Naruto." Sai rubbed his face, as if he wasn't understanding his own emotions.

"Wait...do you like someone?" I asked with a sly smile, I never thought Sai as a guy to fall for anyone. He was always well...Sai...

"Yeah, but she doesn't even know I am alive."

"I am sure that is not true." I laughed patting his back, "Who is it? Maybe I can help!"

"I don't think I want this out in the open Naruto."

"I won't tell anyone." I promised with a smile. Sai watched me for a long moment but turned around slowly, I followed his eyes and tried to line up to where he was looking. I turned around with Sai and leaned against the bar.

"I don't get it, all I can see it Ino and Shikamaru," I said, and Sai looked away from me, I blinked a few times. "Ino...?" I gasped quietly. "Ino?" I gasped again. "Ino!?" I repeated shocked. Sai gave me a dirty look. I could feel my mouth hung open and I was trying to absorb the fact that someone liked Ino...on purpose..."I mean yeah no cool." I said trying to recover. "So Ino?" I said trying to look casual.

"But she is still so wrapped up in Sasuke that she doesn't see anyone else." Sai said.

"Try talking to her, make her see someone else besides Sasuke. Make her see you." I smiled at him and he grinned a little.

"Y-Yeah. I will try."

"Good." I said standing. "Go talk to her, show her you are interested." I picked up the tray of food. "You can come join us, that is a good start."

"Maybe your right..." Sai nodded to himself getting up and following me to the group of noisy shinobi who were laughing as enjoying their day off.

I had fun hanging out with all my friends, it was nice to just relax with them and enjoy a day away from the crazy world. It was getting dark outside and I was beginning to feel tired. I wanted to go home, take a hot shower and relax in front of my television as I fell asleep on my couch. That sounded like a nice way to end my day off, I could tell Sasuke was bored out of his freaking mind. Ino was ignoring Sai as she continued to be ignored by Sasuke. The girl was clingy and honestly, I was surprised she was even here showing her face after what she had done at Hinata's picnic. From what I had heard, Ino was on probation.

"Alright." I said standing from the couch, Sasuke quickly followed suit seeing a way to get away from Ino and her constant touching. Poor Sai, I really hoped his crush on Ino is only a phase, he was great guy and deserved someone who would treat him good. "I am calling it a night." I yawned.

"Boo!" TenTen giggled, looking a little flushed from all the alcoholic drinks she drowned herself in. I chuckled and said goodnight as Sasuke was practically hugging me as we left the café.

"That was fun." I smiled at Sasuke, "Thank you."

"Yeah-Yeah." Sasuke brushed off as we walked through the sleepy streets.

I about to open my mouth as I smiled when a force slammed into my body. It knocked me back a few steps as I hugged my stomach being forward gasping for air. I forced my eyes open as this force flooded the space around me.

"What is this?" Sasuke gasped, sounding affected by this presence.

"Chakra..." I breathed.

"But who's?" Sasuke coughed. "I have never felt such power before." I looked behind me in the direction the café was, they were all drunk and would be useless in a fight. Sasuke and I locked eyes my nervous rose on edge. We bolted in the direction the chakra was pouring from.

"It would be the arena." I muttered to myself, as Sasuke and I jumped over the white wall of the arena I saw we were not the only ones reacting to this force. Sasuke and I ran until we stood behind Kakashi. A swirling vortex of wind was forming in the middle of the grounds.

"Kakashi!?" I called over the wind as it whipped and screamed at us.

"Any idea who this is?!" Sasuke stood beside me.

"No!" Tsunade who was next to Kakashi answered.

"So, we could be standing here waiting to be attacked?" Sasuke looked annoyed.

"Pretty much!" I heard Iruka who was behind me call. I saw a lot of the sensei's and black op members had collected around us.

"Where are your-" Tsunade began to lecture at my friends slow reaction to this.

"They won't be able to help." Sasuke cut Tsunade off, "They are all pretty drunk."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Tsunade yelled as the wind was moving faster, her hair was blowing all over the place.

"It was their day off!" I defended them, why was this a conversation right now!? We might have bigger problems to deal with! I closed my watery eyes as the force of the wind became too much for them to bare. For a second, I gasped in air but failed, it felt like I was inside a vacuum and couldn't breathe! I opened my eyes feeling a cool breeze flow past me, the dome of wind collapsed but that was not the reaction I thought we would get, I was expecting to be ripped off my feet and thrown backwards.

I quickly pulled my attention to the source of that intense chakra. My lips parted as I felt my eyes grow wide. My heart stopped for a moment; I never knew what people meant when they said their heart felt like it stopped but in this moment I understood. My heart rolled over in my rib cage as I forgot how to breathe. That heavy force of chakra that damn near put me on my knees belonged to none other than Sakura Haruno. I knew she was strong, but I didn't know she was that powerful.

I wanted to move towards them, but my body wouldn't respond to me. I was so sad when I discovered Sakura, Carver and Raiden had left the leaf village and I really wanted to see them again. I really wanted to talk to Sakura. There they were, in front of me but this wasn't what I had in mind when I thought about seeing them again...

Raiden was laying on his back his head was tilted in my direction with his eyes closed. Raiden looked beaten up bad, his uniform had multiple tares as I noticed the dark fabric of his uniform was stained with blood. Carver was standing at least, but his head was tilted down towards the ground, his arm was draped over a person who my brain would not let me process just yet. I could see Carver was in no better condition than Raiden was, his matching uniform was also stained with red and cut up. I saw drops of blood dripping down his mouth and onto the dirt he stood on. All I could do was stand and stare, flashes of Carver and Raiden laughing and being their cocky selves was all I could picture. Finally, my brain allowed me to process the person holding Carver up.

Ever since she returned Sakura has been this unstoppable force that no one could ever touch. As she stood here in front of me now, she looked like she was holding on by a thin thread. I could see her uniform that I loved seeing her wear was cut up like the other two. In her free hand she held her sword, its blade was red with blood.

"Sakura?!" Kakashi snapped out of the trace first, thank God someone did because my brain was numb and drooling. "What happened?!" I heard his deep voice and felt him taking steps forward past me.

"There..." She breathed; I shook my head refusing to believe this was what I was really seeing. This was a dream! I felt my numb legs move as I watched Sakura collapse before she would give any detail. Kakashi rushed forward catching her before she fell to the ground. Guy was able to reach Carver before he hit the ground once Sakura stopped being the force that held him up. Sasuke moved past me and kneeled beside Raiden.

"He's alive." Sasuke announced.

"What-What happened!?" I heard myself yell.

"Get them to the hospital!" Tsunade shouted. I saw Kakashi scoop Sakura up and turned, I quickly followed him never moving my eyes off Sakura. What the fuck happened!? Sakura always seemed so strong...what the fuck could do this to her?!

"Sakura..." I heard Carver, I snapped around seeing there were people following us. I hadn't noticed them. Sasuke had Raiden who was unmoving, Guy had Carver as Iruka was applying pressure to his stomach. I saw Iruka's hands were painted red. I looked forward as my eyes tingled and my stomach rolled, wanting to throw out all the continents.

"We got you guys!" My voice was shaky,

"Raiden?" He called out sounding confused,

"We got him too." Guy spoke up.

"What happened Carver?" I called looking behind me.

"Village..." He coughed, I watched as a blossom of blood bloomed out of his mouth, my heart clinched. "...attack...it was...a trap." Carver's broken voice and raspy breathing had me shook to my core. "Activate Sakura's seal." Carver breathed out as he cried out in pain, Iruka was trying to stop the bleeding.

"What?" I remember Kakashi saying something about Sakura and a seal around the leaf village.

"The ambush...was designed to kill her." Carver coughed and more blood dripped down his chin. "Reapers..." Carver was piecing together what had happened for us. I looked back over to Sakura. The Reapers had set up a trap?

"We will." Kakashi called in front of us as we quickly made our way through the village. "We will keep you and your team safe and we will activate the seal but right now Carver you need to focus on not dying."

"Yeah." I agreed. "You know how pissed Sakura will be if you died?" I tried to joke, I watched a small smile form on his face, but after a moment his eyes closed, and he went limp. "What happened!?" I felt panicked.

"He is still breathing." Guy said, sounding so solid right now. I watched as Guy and Kakashi glanced at each other, I knew that look and what it meant...it meant that if we didn't get these three to the hospital right now, they were not going to make it.

It took us seven minutes to get to the hospital, it was the longest and yet the fastest moments in my entire life. We jumped into view of the large building; three separate medical teams were waiting for us with stretchers. The three who call themselves soldiers and not shinobi were ripped from our hands. I felt my body move forward, wanting to follow Sakura as she was lifted onto the stretcher and rolled away. Sasuke caught me, wrapping an arm around me. I didn't feel his light grip as I watched the direction Sakura had been taken, almost as if she and the others would walk around the corner any second now and smile at me, telling me this was all a sick joke.

This wasn't a sick joke. Sasuke moved sideways, going in the wrong direction to the waiting room taking me with him.

I couldn't wrap my head around this as Sasuke sat me in a chair. Ever since she stormed back into my life, Sakura has always been so strong like a rock no storm could move. Hell, she saved my life and then had that chakra stealing seal placed over her and even then, she still rose and fought to protect me and my team. But now she looked so fragile that it broke my heart to know if I touched her, she would shatter into a thousand pieces as if she was made from the finest glass. For the first time since she returned Sakura looked human, I could see her armor had kinks had in it.

"Naruto." I looked up, seeing Sasuke was holding out a can of soda in front of me. I slowly took it, the coldness from the can shocked me, a strange feeling then rose in my chest that I did not understand...did I...did I feel disappointed? What was this? Was this feeling because I discovered Sakura wasn't all powerful and perfect? How was that fair? I sat beside Sasuke and Kakashi as I played with the can in my hands, why was it fair for me to judge her for having to escape when she has to come to my rescue more than once? Sakura was the Reaper, the all-powerful Reaper of Reapers yet here she lay in the hospital barely hanging onto her life. I shook my head as I felt disappointed in myself.

"Don't worry Naruto." I looked up at Guy's voice. "They will be ok." I nodded at Guy's smile, but I could see his grin was forced, it was hard not to. I noticed the men around me, how they all had blood painted on them. This didn't feel real to me, it was like my brain was refusing the evidence in front of me.

Tsunade was passing back and forth with her face scrunched up. Tsunade was a highly respected medical ninja but she was kicked out of the emergency room. Tsunade's skills involved only the use of chakra, so she was useless. Tsunade gave a little update, hitting us with more gloom as we discovered Sakura, Carver and Raiden were infected with the Reaper's poison that won't allow a body to heal with chakra. There wasn't a known cure that we knew off, I remember Sakura making a comment that the river village was working on something but they haven't succeeded yet.

Everyone sat in silence I kept thinking about how I had been sitting in a café with my friends without a care in the world enjoying my day off while Sakura was fighting for her life. I knew there was nothing I could do or nothing I could have done to change this outcome but that didn't make me feel any better I still felt horrible.

"Naruto!" I looked up to see Hinata running into the waiting room.

"Hinata?" I asked myself. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard." Hinata said looking at the floor and not at me, "I heard Sakura returned but she is hurt."

"She is..." I said looking at the floor. "...really bad."

"What happened?" Her voice was so soft as she spoke.

"We don't know." Sasuke answered from beside me. "We only got a few pieces before Carver passed out from his blood loss."

"Why are you the only one here?" I wondered. "Where is everyone else?"

"I was told to keep it on the down low." I nodded understanding. We couldn't have a waiting room full of worried people it would be too much and most of our friends were drunk.

"Smart." I nodded, Hinata moved to the row in front of me and took a seat. We all fell back into silence as we all waited around. These chairs were fucking terrible, my back and ass hurt as I shifted around but could not find comfort. I still hadn't opened the can of soda Sasuke gave me, I continued to play with it in my hands as I glanced at the clock ticking away at the wall. Hours were passing by us as the night began to grow into the morning. Tsunade kept saying it was good it was taking time, it also means that no one had died yet the thought of Sakura dying now had me wanting to drop to me knees and pray that this was all one really messed up dream. I just found out from Carver that Sakura was beginning to warm up to me, I blinked a few times, leaning back in my chair fighting tears back. I had so much I needed to say to her...

Finally, at four o'clock in the morning we got news of Raiden and Carver being stable. They were put into a private ICU room. Room 407 and that we would be allowed in shortly. I stood, walking closer to the doctor who was explaining to Tsunade what they had to do in surgery. I looked from Tsunade and the doctor, what about Sakura? Sasuke pushed me forward, I looked at him and saw they were waiting for me to collect my shit and walk. I kept looking at Tsunade, why hadn't they said anything about Sakura? Did she...I looked away from the floor I had been staring at as if that could make the thoughts of Sakura dying here today go away.

We followed the doctor to a room; it was large and could fit four patients. Carver and Raiden were both here, against the right side of the large white room. I stared at Raiden as I moved to his side, I touched his hand. He and Carver looked like they had a great fall and it took all the doctors and all the nurses to put them back together with duct tape.

"Hey..." Tsunade whispered softly, I looked up hearing her voice. I felt a large breath leave my lungs. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath the second I walked into this room. Carver had his eyes opened as he was looking around the room looking at each of us, looking a little confused. "Welcome back." Tsunade smiled, sounding so unlike her natural self. Carver ignored Tsunade for a moment, turning his head in my direction. Carver breathed looking relieved once he saw Raiden was beside him. After a moment, he began looking around the room. I knew he was looking for Sakura, I was wondering the same thing. Where was she?

"She is still with the doctors." Tsunade whispered, she reached out and took his hand with hers. Carvers eyes closed tightly, I watched him lift his free hand and cover his face with it. "They have high hopes for her." Tsunade added, what did that mean? Carver shook his head slightly back and forth, his skin looked pale and sweaty. My heart skipped as I sucked in a breath seeing a tear falling from his eye. When I thought of Carver, I saw a fighter. He was retraining our shinobi to be stronger and he was such a flirt...tears didn't match him in the slightest.

"Is she going to live?" I snapped down, looking at Raiden and smiled seeing his eyes were open as he looked around the room.

"They have high hopes." Kakashi repeated Tsunade's original answer. Raiden's face twisted showing pain, he began to lift himself up from the bed. I quickly move pressing my hands against his shoulders trying to keep him in bed.

"Raiden, do not move. You're only going to make your condition worse." Tsunade said rushing over.

"It is all my fault." Raiden gasped out fighting me. "I have to get to her." I was taken back seeing tears spill over his eyes. Raiden was always so goofy and loving, I didn't like seeing him hurt like this, my heart was squeezing together as he tried to fight me, but I felt how weak he was and I had to fight myself from letting me show tears. I had to be strong for them right now, I had to be like Kakashi and Sasuke who were so collected. I couldn't shatter, I had no reason too. I was not the one in the ambush, I was not the one hurt...I couldn't be this weak!

"She is alive, she is with the doctors." Tsunade repeated as Kakashi came to assist me with keeping Raiden in bed.

"No!" Raiden yelled as more tears fell down his face, "I won't let her die alone! I have to be there with her!"

"She isn't going to-" I tried to comfort.

"It's my fault!" Raiden cried out; his arms wrapped around my one right arm. I felt myself tense for a moment feeling his hug my arm as hard as he could. Raiden's eyes were bloodshot and he looked so tired as he leaned against me. I bent down and wrapped hugged him with my free arm. I felt tears fall from my eyes and down my cheeks as I listened to Raiden gasping for air as he sobbed into my shirt. "I am the reason she is going to die!" He gasped out trying to suck in more air into his lungs, his voice was muffled but I knew everyone heard them.

"Raiden, what are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, I felt the bed dipped down as Kakashi sat on the bed.

"We were attacked." Carver breathed out pulling everyone's attention to him and off Raiden.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke questioned standing beside Guy and Hinata.

"We left." Carver sighed, leaning against the pillow behind him. "About an hour after you did for your mission." He said to Sasuke.

"Yeah." Sasuke's voice was darkened. "We learned Sakura took you two with her when she left."

"Don't-" Carver shook his head. "-Don't be mad at her." He sounded breathless.

"Why not?" I wanted to slap Sasuke, this was not the time!

"She got a call from Dawn, the Iron Village needed help, but she waited until your team left. She wanted you to believe we were waiting here for you so you three wouldn't be distracted from your mission, so you three would be safe." Carver explained, my heart felt sad and yet warm knowing Sakura cared enough to do this for us. "...she didn't want to leave... " Carver breathed catching my full attention quickly.

"She didn't?" I asked,

"This is not the time for this." Tsunade spoke up, her voice broke a little, so she cleared it. "Carver what happened to you three?"

"After we left here we saw the Iron Village looked fine, so we broke up and went our own ways Raiden and I went to search the nearby towns. We knew this village, we had personal ties to it. We had been there a thousand times; we knew the people and the streets. We just wanted to sure everything was ok. I got a call from a friend from the Iron Village-" Carver spoke up after clearing his throat again. "-he was crying and said he needed help. When I got there Raiden and Sakura were already on sight, she didn't like it she felt like something was off." Carver swallowed hard a few times, like he had a thump in his throat that he couldn't get rid of. "We were walking through the village and it was empty. Sakura didn't like, she was about to call the Waterfall Village and then out of nowhere it was like someone flipped a switch. Hundreds of Reapers poured into the open ambushing us. We tried to take cover but the father we got into the village the more villagers we found had already been slaughtered..." I watched Carver drift away from us and into his memories back into the moments he was inside the iron village.

"Carver." Tsunade said, touching his arm. He seemed to snap out of it. He licked his lips but wouldn't look any of us in the eye. I moved and sat on the bed as Raiden hid his face in my jacket still holding onto me like I was a lifeline.

"...The farther we ran the more destruction we stumbled upon-" Carver started up again. "-the more fire burnt. There was so much screaming, we had been in wars before but this hit different...we knew all the people, we watched children grow into adults and to see them lying in the streets with their throats sliced open it just..." Carver trailed off again, getting sucked back into his memory.

"Carver-" Tsunade picked up his hand, "-you're in shock." Tsunade said. "I understand this but please, tell what happened to the Iron Village."

"Sakura gave you her blood to activate the protection seal?" Carver looked up at Tsunade.

"Yes..." Tsunade nodded, "I remember that it was very gross."

"You activated them, right?" Carver looked and sounded like he was completely here with us. I watched Tsunade and Kakashi exchange glances, even though Carver was in shock he picked up on this. "What?" He breathed; his face twisted with anger. "Why haven't you!?" His voice boomed, echoing around the room.

"Carver-" Tsunade tried to reason.

"Do you have a death wish for your village!?" Carver shouted as he looked like he was trying to move to get up. Kakashi stood, moving towards Carver to keep him down like we had done with Raiden.

"Carver, you're in shock." Tsunade called over Carver's protests. "We don't want to raise alarm with the entire village just because-"

"Put the seals up!" Carver demanded. "Or let me go so I can get Raiden and Sakura out of this village!"

"You're not going to take them anywhere." Kakashi's voice sounded almost like a threat.

"You three are injured, you can't travel-" Tsunade tried to speak again but Carver cut her off demanding some seal to be put up.

"First tell us what happened." Sasuke said trying to compromise. "If it is anything that we can't handle than we will put Sakura's seal up."

"You guys will not be able to handle-"

"Prove me wrong." Sasuke challenged.

"You don't want to know..." Carver trailed off, defeat in his voice.

"Everyone thinks you all got attacked by surprise. That is why you are so badly hurt." I found myself saying. "Unless you can shock the hell out of everyone in this room...those seals will not go up." Carver looked down into his lap and took in a deep breath.

"The Iron Village is gone." Carver breathed, "It burnt to the ground as Sakura transported us here."

"You're going to have to do better than that." Sasuke said.

"I knew the Reapers were a sick bunch of bastards, but I never expected to see what I saw. The Reapers used the villagers against us, that is how we fell. They strapped explosives to children and forced them to run at us, if they didn't comply they were punished."

"Punished...how?" I was stupid enough to question.

"I heard Raiden screaming..." Carver answered, causing me to look down at him. "...when the children fought against the Reapers they were punished in different ways. Most were males, they were beaten and if that didn't work then they had limbs cut off and then cauterized there on the spot. If the child was female and she refused, then she was taken so they could break her in later. The Reapers captured a lot of the females so they could sell them off."

"Carver this is all fucked up but your tired and-" Sasuke started.

"I watched that group of sick fucks rape innocent women and men of all ages, excuse me if I am just a little tired!" Carver snapped.

"How did Sakura get hurt?" Kakashi asked.

"Sakura and I had a small group of survivors." Carver sighed. "We rounded a corner and tried to hide them inside a building while we fought but ran into a group of Reapers taking turns with the Kage's wife as her children were tied down being forced to watch. When the Reapers saw we found them they forced one of the wife's daughters to run at us, a bomb strapped to her chest as they tried to flee with the Kage's wife...Sakura and I were busy fighting and Raiden failed to take the child down so the bomb on her chest went off. That is what took him down, injured me and Sakura. This was the event that slowed Sakura down enough to where the Reapers could do real damage to her. The group of survivors we had were all killed, Sakura turned and tried to go after the Kages wife."

"Why did they want her?" I wondered.

"Because she was a trophy. The reapers like to collect them." Carver answered as if that was common knowledge.

"I thought only towns and villages were trophies to them." Sasuke said, causing Carver to laugh only to end up coughing.

"They make everything a sick game, which makes anything a trophy. They love to collect woman of high power. It is one thing that they get off on." Carver spat out; my stomach felt sick. I didn't think this kind of evil could exist. "We found the Kages wife about a half hour later, I think...I thought I had seen the worst of it, but I was wrong...what Sakura and I stumbled upon...when we were able to kill most of the Reapers, we pulled the Kages wife to safety, but I turned around as I heard her say she could not live with what has been done to her and her daughters. She took her own life with Raiden's sword." I don't think anyone knew what to say.

"I am so sorry..." I heard Tsunade whisper.

"For the past few months, we thought the reason for the low activity from the Reapers was because we had hit them hard enough to need time to recover but we were so wrong."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke wondered.

"The reason the Reapers had been so quiet was because they had planned this ambush. It had to have taken them months to plan this and get the manpower we saw."

"I am not following." Sasuke shook his head.

"This attack on the Iron Village was planned out very carefully over a period of time, it was their attempt at taking Sakura down." Carver whispered. I looked at Kakashi. "Which is why you need to put up the seal, they are not going to stop until they have tracked Sakura down and finished the job while they still can."

"You think they will come here?" I asked.

"I think they are going to flood every village they can get inside. I am sure the price on Sakura's head as tripled because of this."

"It was my fault." Raiden spoke up again, I looked down at him. "I couldn't do my job." He whispered, "There was so much fire...so many people were screaming...It was just a little girl...she just kept came running at me when I kept yelling at her to stop. She just kept crying for her mother and I couldn't...I couldn't kill her."

I looked up in time to see Tsunade had left the room, I knew where she went so, I didn't need to ask. Once again, silence filled the room. I didn't know what to say, what do you say after being told stuff like this? What do you say to someone who just barely escaped a war? How do you begin to find the words to comfort them?

"Look!" Hinata gasped, I rushed to the window with everyone else. A large light blue dome was covering the entire village, so that was Sakura's seal? I could see a lot of people on the streets from being on the fourth floor of the hospital. A lot of people looked confused seeing we were basically a snow globe now. I wonder how long that thing will stay up?

The door's burst opened, we all turned around to see a bed being rolled in. Tsunade was behind them as the same doctor from before was talking to her, but I didn't understand anything she was saying. I watched eagerly as a staff of three brought in machines I didn't know existed. The curtain was drawn so we could not see a thing and only Tsunade was allowed over there. I looked around as we waited to be told what the hell was going on. I sat at the end of Raiden's bed as we waited and listened to the low mutteres of the doctor and Tsunade.

It took eight long ass minutes for the three nurses to leave the room, but the curtain was not pulled back. I huffed, feeling annoyed and impatient. After a moment I heard Tsunade,

"Thank you, Dr. Yu." I watched the doctor nod and leave the room closing the door behind her. Tsunade walked around the curtain and looked at us.

"Er..." I didn't understand what is going on.

"No one is to panic." Tsunade sounded so calm, I felt my eyebrows pull together confused as I looked at Sasuke to see if he had a clue with the hell was happening. With that comment Tsunade pulled back the curtain, I felt my body stand but instantly numbness filled my cells when I got a view of Sakura.

Her eyes were closed as she laid against her hospital bed. Her long pink hair flowed around her like a sea of silk. Most of what I could see was bandaged and she had an IV in her right arm. What I did not like, what made my stomach ache and desire to hunt down every monster who called themselves a Reaper was the tube that was inside her mouth.

"Why is there a tube in her mouth?" I asked, my voice was so shaky and unsure.

"Sakura is intubated." Tsunade explained as I traced the tube that was inside Sakura's mouth as blue hoses were connected to it running into a weird looking machine. "That is what is keeping her breathing..." Tsunade's words were soft as I felt Kakashi move past me and walk to Sakura's side.

"She can't breathe on her own?" Kakashi questioned, staring down onto Sakura.

"No." Tsunade answered. I walked next to Kakashi getting a closer look. Her skin was pale and covered in bruises. There was tape holding the tube in place which ran into Sakura's airway. This scary looking thing was what was keeping her alive...

"How is she?" I asked Tsunade, wanting to know more information. Tsunade sighed,

"She is stable." Tsunade answered, I looked at her. Was that all she was going to tell us? As I turned back to Sakura, a sharp pain hit my heart, seeing Sakura in this state was hard. I reached out and took her left hand, as I realized this wasn't her fault but Raiden's but at the same time how could I be mad with him for doing the same thing I couldn't do either...I could never take the life of a child. This wasn't either of their faults it was the Reapers. I felt anger and hatred brewing together inside me using my stomach as a mixing pot making me want to throw up, Sakura hated the Reapers more than I did, was this how Sakura felt all the time?! It was fucking horrible!

"Tsunade." Carver called out after an hour of silence and us all sitting around staring at Sakura. I wonder if she was dreaming...a hard fact to swallow for me was realizing this was not a bad dream I was going to wake up from. Tsunade said Sakura was stable but until she could breathe on her own is when she will be out of the woods.

"Yes Carver?" She turned to look at him as did I.

"Was it ok for us to come here?" Carver sounded unsure.

"Of course!" Tsunade got up and speed walked over to his bed. "I have told you three a hundred times you three are always welcome here; you are family."

"I know...it's just Sakura did not want to endanger the Leaf Village." Carver explained, "But with Raiden down and I could barely-"

"You and Raiden are family now. With or without Sakura you two are always welcome here." Carver nodded, a light smile on his lips.

"Thank you." He breathed. She nodded and looked back over to the pink haired woman asleep in her bed across the room.

"Why didn't she want to come here?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his pervy book.

"The attack was designed to kill Sakura off. We were cornered, Sakura lost so much blood and we couldn't heal ourselves. Raiden was down, and I could barely stand. It was such a mess, I knew she didn't want to go to the Waterfall Village, not like this. Hundreds of soldiers would jump to kill her. So, she brought us here, telling me that if she passed out or died to get the seals up because she was afraid that the Reapers would follow to finish the job...she didn't want the Leaf Village to suffer the same fate the Iron Village had."

"I am glad you three came here." Tsunade said taking his hand. "This is your home now. You three do not have to be strong here. No matter who comes to our gates we will fight." Carver smiled, squeezing Tsunade's hand as hard as he could, which wasn't much, I could see it in Tsunade's eyes. "No one is going to get to you three."

"She missed you." Carver said,

"We missed you too." Tsunade smiled, I got up and walked over to Carver and took his free hand, I waited for a perverted comment from him but didn't get one...he really is hurt.

"Welcome home Carver."


	14. Chapter 14

A week had already flown by since Sakura, Carver and Raiden blew back into our life's injured from being ambushed in the iron village. I never left the hospital as I hung out with Carver and Raiden who were slowly getting back to their normal selves. Sasuke would come and go, spending the night with me but also going home on other nights when he was tired of sleeping on a hard-cold hospital floor. Not a lot of people knew what had happened, Tsunade kept who could and could not know under strict terms. Thanks to Guy's big mouth most of my friends knew and wanted to come see the three-waterfall shinobi but Tsunade wouldn't allow it.

I couldn't complain, I was just happy I was allowed inside the room. I am pretty sure that was due to Carver insisting I be allowed to stay which surprised me. I really thought Carver hated me, but we had been hanging out while he was hospitalized, and it has been nice. Not that Carver and the others being hospitalized was nice but the fact that they had no choice but to take it easy and for once I saw them settle down and relax.

Sakura's condition hasn't improved but it also hadn't worsened. I glanced over away from my game of cards with Raiden to see Kakashi who was in the same seat he has been for the past five days. He never moved from Sakura's side, he would read his pervy books or watch TV. If Kakashi did leave I had only seen it for a short time frame like a half hour to shower or eat.

I glanced over at Carver. Tsunade walked in holding a bag of food, I smiled happy to see food that was not from this hospital. I placed my hand of cards down, I kept losing anyways. The hospital room we were in no longer looked large, it appeared to be well lived in thanks to me and my team. My pile of blankets and pillows was against the wall and out of the way from the medical staff who were always coming in and out. I got up and helped Tsunade clear off one of the small tables so she could set the food on it. I lightly kicked my orange bag out of the way, it was full of spare clothing and bathroom needs.

Tsunade had gotten everyone burgers and fries for dinner, I thanked her and grabbed the two she handed me. Carver made a comment, trying to take one but Tsunade shot him a glare. Both Carver and Raiden were on diet restrictions, mainly their sodium since the two of them ate it like they were freaking salt water fish! I settled in a folding chair and took a large bite of my sandwich, I glanced back at Carver as questions swirled inside my head.

"Just ask us." Carver spoke up pulling my attention back over to him.

"Huh" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

"You have been eye raping me for an hour." Carver smirked; he was starting to return to his old perverted ways. "Just ask me."

"I uh..." I trailed off looking at my fries which sat in my lap. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. "I noticed that...um..."

"Yeah?"

"Well you two work for Sakura...right?" I muttered, without looking at the two in the hospital beds.

"Yes?" Carver answered.

"So that means you work for the Waterfall Village?" I went on,

"Where are you getting at?" Carver asked.

"How come you guys don't wear the Waterfall's symbol then?" This had been bugging me for days! "I noticed Sakura doesn't wear one either, and she is the Commander of it..."

"I am surprised you noticed that." Raiden chuckled, eating his third Jell-O.

"Well...yeah..." I muttered, looking over at Sakura who was still hooked to that machine in order to breathe, it was hard seeing her like this...

"Well if we had to put a label on our job..." Carver started, "...then I guess you could say Raiden and I don't technically belong to the Waterfall Village."

"Wait, what?" Tsunade butted in.

"Yeah." Raiden nodded.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade questioned leaning forward interested in the conversation.

"Sakura hired us." Raiden answered, "She recruited us, trained us, and choices our missions."

"If you need a label, we are freelance shinobi." Carver added.

"I don't understand." I shook my head, Carver smiled.

"I thought Kaguya placed you all on the same team?" Sasuke spoke finally pulling his eyes off his phone.

"Well..." Carver sighed, "...it's not that simple."

"Then simplify it!" Tsunade said.

"To be accepted into the Waterfall's army, you had to pass a test made by Kaguya."

"OK." I nodded, following so far.

"It was a horrible test, what surprised my group the most was the fact she was forcing Sakura to partake in the exam as well. I don't know the whole story behind the reasoning but Sakura and Kaguya both built the Waterfall Village. Why Kaguya took the title as leader and forced Sakura to prove herself I don't know." Carver explained. "But there were sixty people in our group and only nine made it out alive."

"What-What?!" Tsunade gasped. "What kind of test-"

"After we survived-" Carver went on, looking like he didn't want to answer Tsunade's question. "-I wanted nothing to do with Kaguya, I fully believe she is a crazy bitch. Raiden and the other six from our team agreed and we were ready to leave the Waterfall Village, but Sakura knew we were talented. She came after us, she offered us pay, housing and she said she would train us, and we would not be a part of the Waterfall Village. We agreed." Carver shrugged.

"Kaguya and Sakura fought a lot." Raiden sighed. "Those two were always at each other's throats-"

"Why?" I interrupted by mistake.

"Sakura wanted to reach out to other villages and help them. She wanted to protect everyone and spread peace while Kaguya wanted to stay to herself."

"That's why they fought all the time?" I wondered.

"Yeah, so Sakura used our team to her advantage since we didn't wear the Waterfall's symbol, she sent us everywhere. We became the team that fought for more than one village."

"Yeah, Sakura would try and join us on most of our missions, but Kaguya is a clingy psycho."

"That is...beautiful." I whispered staring at the two with big eyes. Carver rolled his eyes and brushed off my compliment.

We fell back into a comfortable silence as we continued eating, listening to Sakura's heartbeat the monitor. I did this every night, I was shoving the last of my burger in my mouth, enjoying the juicy flavors when it happened, the joyful beats we all were craving to hear stopped.

Sakura had flat lined.

I choked on my burger as Tsunade shot up screaming code blue! Nurses and doctors flooded into the room, Kakashi, Sasuke and I were pushed out. The curtain between Sakura and the two men were drawn. I could hear them screaming for Sakura to fight!

As I was being thrown into the hallway, I was still trying to get the burger down my throat. I quickly looked over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Sakura's body shaking. I seen enough TV to know that was a seizure. I turned around I wanted to scream her name, but my voice was caught in my chest under my stomach. Within all the hustle and bustle I felt a hot sharp pain explode on my arm. I heard my voice cry out as I grabbed my arm, feeling fire burning my skin. I could hear Kakashi and Sasuke were in pain also. What the hell was this pain? Where was it coming from?!

Then it hit me, the reason why the pain was in my arm. My stomach turned sour as I looked over at Kakashi, fear engulfed me. The seals Sakura had on us; they were broken. Sakura said there was only two ways the seal can be taken off; she removes it or...if she dies...

I looked over hearing footsteps as my graduating class was walking down the hallway laughing with balloons in hand. They stopped when they saw us in the hallway.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked me sounding worried, "What is going on?" All I could do was shake my head; I fought back tears.

"Which one?" TenTen asked, once again all I could do was shake my head. "Carver?" She questioned; I covered my mouth with my hand as I shook my head no.

"Sakura..." Hinata breathed. I looked up, locking eyes with her letting her know she was right.

"No!" I looked over seeing Sasuke move. Pulling Ino into a hug stopping her from getting closer to the door. "They are trying to save her life!" Sasuke hissed as Ino melted into him, her legs gave out as the two of them dropped to the floor.

"She is strong." Lee whispered. "She will pull through."

I looked down; I have been staring at her for days. She was showing no signs of change. I knew some medical stuff because of her. I prayed she would pull through but in my heavy heart, a piece of me already knew she was gone when I laid eyes on her, when I watched her fall into Kakashi's arms. I saw her eyes; I saw how tired and beaten down she was. No matter how I see her and how strong I believe her to be, she was still human. How much fight can she have left in her after all the bullshit she has been dragged through? I closed my eyes at the cold hard facts. If I was her, I would have fallen a long time ago. I realized Sakura has proven time and time again that she was indeed stronger than me, without even trying.

I opened my eyes and looked around at all the people who were sobbing in the hallway. Kakashi was just watching the door, holding it up with his stare. I saw the hope, I saw a need for her to be ok. I looked at the door, as a realization hit me; Kakashi had feelings for Sakura.

My chest hurt as something wrapped around it, it was cold feeling and made my stomach turn. I watched the door with anticipation building inside my chest. Sakura's face flashed into mine without permission, as unwanted thoughts came pouring into my sight. Was she proud of me? Was she proud of who I became?

I felt a desire roar to life in the pit of my stomach to have one more chance to look into those bright blaring green orbs. All I wanted right now in this moment was to see them looking back at me. I didn't care about anything else; I didn't care there were people standing around me, I didn't care about the leaf village, I didn't care about becoming Hokage...I really just needed to see her one more time and see her looking back at me with that cute amused look on her face.

I never got the chance to tell her so many things, I still had so many questions to ask her and so much I wanted to talk to her about. The past few days of knowing Sakura cared about me was the best few days of my life since she was declared fallen years ago. I had pictured spending so many nights with her laughing and making new memories, I wanted to feel the warm light of her praising me for a good job, I wasn't ready to see all those dreams go up in smoke. I never got the chance to thank her for everything she has done to protect me and my home. Has anyone ever thanked her for anything she was doing?

She gave up a normal steady life to protect us, she gets no awards for her bravery, no praise from the hearts she protects. She remains living alone in the shadows and goes months without a warm bed or a home cooked meal. I don't know what I would do without warm food and a soft bed or my friends or even my village behind me watching my back. I honestly can't understand how she is still standing from the stories I have heard; I would have burnt out years ago.

It never once crossed my mind that Sakura could ever be defeated, I never prepared for the fact that Sakura was human, she will die. I never prepared for that day, today couldn't be that day. There was still so much I wanted to learn from Sakura and I never got to say goodbye to her and in that moment I realized I still loved Sakura...

The door which read 'Room 407' opened, the doctor from before, Dr. Yu I think her name was walked out, her eyes glassed over she walked out of Sakura's room. She got a foot out the door and then fell back against the wall, sliding down onto the floor. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she cupped her face in her hands and sobbed. There was a moment of hard silence, it was like all the air got sucked out of the hallway like a vacuum. I couldn't breathe, my lungs pulled in air into my lungs, but I still felt like I was choking. I turned to Sasuke who was on the ground still holding Ino, he was watching Dr. Yu as his face expressed little emotion. I glanced at Kakashi who could show more emotion in one eye than Sasuke could with his entire face.

"Naruto." Hinata's light voice reached my ears. I looked down and saw her large eyes were full of tears and I could see she was fighting them back. I swallowed my pain and wrapped my arms around my friend as she failed at hiding her emotions.

I looked around the hallway as I felt our worlds coming to a crashing halt. I didn't have enough of her; we just got her back and was restarting our relationships. As I saw how hurt everyone inside this hallway looked, I realized that even though we didn't have much time with Sakura, it was still enough time for her to imprint her mark on this village. I needed to see for myself, I needed to look at Sakura and I needed to see she was really gone this time. I just had too. Before I could move forward, Tsunade came into the view standing in the doorway.

"She is stable." Tsunade breathed out, leaning against the door frame for support.

My wide eyes snapped up to her. Stable? Did I hear that right?

I forgot how to breathe as I made my way into the room past Tsunade. Hinata still in my arms I was carrying her like a rag doll. Kakashi, Sasuke and I all rushed into the dim lit room. I didn't waste a second searching for her with my eyes, I quickly got to her bedside. Sakura's face was washed of color, her once rose lips had turned to pale white and she looked to fragile, but her chest moved up and down slowly. The tube that was shoved down her throat was missing, so was the large machine Tsunade said was breathing for her, I assumed Sakura was able to breathe on her own now that she wasn't connected to it. So that must mean Sakura's condition was improving, right? Her heart monitor made those little beautiful sounds of life. I breathed, finally I breathed. I let Hinata go and I fell back into the wall. I felt tears start to fall down my face out of joy and sweet relief filled every cell of my body.

Kakashi took her hand as if to make sure she was real. I looked over, Carver and Raiden looked like they were just hit by a bus, I almost wanted to laugh at their expressions, but I felt so tired as I leaned against the wall.

"I need a drink." Tsunade muttered moving into the room and closing the door.

I nodded in agreement, not caring if anyone could see my response or not.

I found I couldn't move; all I could do was hold the wall up as I stared at Sakura. I was scared if I looked away from her, she would evaporate.

Tsunade would not allow anyone else into the room to see Sakura. She gave my friends an update and told them to leave. I heard them try to complain but I couldn't care, I didn't want to move and risk getting kicked out with them. After ten minutes of pure silence, everyone was staring at Sakura's sleeping face. Shizune, Tsunade's assistant appeared with a large case of beer. She dropped it off and left without so much as a word, but her face expressed how worried she was.

"I think we deserve a drink." Tsunade breathed. "No." Tsunade said pointing to Carver who was trying to get a beer from Sasuke, Carver glared at Tsunade and went to pouting in his bed with a huff of air as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"She can breathe on her own now?" Kakashi pulled the conversation. I looked over at Tsunade standing up.

"Yes." Tsunade nodded, smiling to herself.

"How?" I wondered, she just freaking flat lined!

"I don't know." Tsunade laughed, holding the cold can of beer against her forehead.

"That doesn't make me feel better." Carver said.

"I honestly don't know how she is alive." Tsunade said staring in Sakura's direction.

"What?!" I felt extremely alarmed, Tsunade laughed at my reaction.

"It's true." Tsunade nodded, "I believe if she was anyone else, she would have died the second she transported here." It sounded like Tsunade was talking to herself and not a room full of worried people.

"What do you mean?" I asked, snapping open a can for myself.

"I mean, if it would have been me or you inside the Iron Village and we received the injured Sakura has...we wouldn't be standing here."

"Then how come she is?" Sasuke asked.

"Because she is stronger than all of us combined." Tsunade sounded proud, "That is crystal clear to me now." I smiled, looking away from Tsunade as I sipped my drink.

Raiden sparked up a conversation, trying to lighten the moon with his comedy. Raiden was a naturally funny person like Carver and Sakura were. I could see now how the three of them were close friends. They were so much like each other while at the same time they were all so different.

Everyone was talking and joking around until a long beep drew itself across the room, snapped everyone around to look at Sakura. After a hot second the beeps started again. I let out a cold breath of air I was holding in my lungs.

"What the hell was that?" Kakashi asked, standing as Tsunade rushed over to Sakura.

"Like I said-" Tsunade sighed, checking Sakura's pulse. "-I have no clue how she is still breathing."

"But she can breathe on her own now." I smiled. "That's good."

"She isn't out of the woods yet." Tsunade said, shattering my fragile hope.

"Why?" Sasuke questioned. Tsunade's eyes closed for a moment, like she was debating on telling us the truth or not.

"Sakura's heart is working in overdrive; she is injured this bad and her body is trying to flush out the poison."

"You think her heart will give?" Carver asked,

"I don't know." Tsunade said.

"So, the fact she can breathe on her own isn't a good sign." Raiden investigated his lap. I could see the guilt written all over his face, and I wanted to go over and make him feel better, but I also didn't want to leave Sakura's side. I know it was only a few feet difference but, I felt better by her side...

"It is a good sign." Tsunade made clear, "But, I don't think she will be out of the woods until she wakes up."

"You mean if." Sasuke said, I really wanted to hit him right now.

"No." Tsunade shook her head with a smile, "I mean when, I can't promise you all anything, but she has a lot of fight in her."

"You think she will pull through?" Carver asked, sounding hopefully.

"I will be surprised if she didn't." Tsunade smiled, picking up her beer. For a moment, I felt happy and hopeful again but then I thought...what is Tsunade was lying to us to make us feel better right now?

Night fell quickly and no one was really in the mood to joke around, so the lights were turned off and we all settled down for the night. I could hear the light sound of Carver's TV; he was having trouble sleeping and didn't want the medicine to make him sleep.

The room was filled with low roars of slight snoring, I looked around in the dark, having woken up. This cold hard floor was hard to sleep on and stay asleep. Tsunade only allowed Sasuke, Kakashi and me to remain inside the hospital room overnight. I said goodnight to Hinata but I felt bad, I knew she didn't want to leave but once again I wasn't going to fight Tsunade and risk being kicked out and away from Sakura. My eyes were heavy as I saw a small amount of moon light that escaped into the room from between the blinds.

"It's not time for you to go yet." I heard Kakashi's light voice filled the darkened room. I could see the outline of him, leaning closer to Sakura on his chair as he held her hand close to him. So, I was right...Kakashi had feelings for Sakura...I felt myself gulp down a bundle of nerves. I didn't know how to feel about this information, I loved Sakura before she went missing, I loved her before she made a name for herself. Now that she has walked back into the village out of the ashes of her grave now people wanted her attention and wanted her all for themselves. It wasn't fair! I already had to compete with Sasuke, and now Kakashi too? Kakashi was our sensei growing up, he was our teacher and he is older! Well...I guess Kakashi is not that much older than us, but it was weird! She was he student once...wait...did Kakashi have feeling for Sakura back in the day!? That would be so gross!

I laid on my back, holding my sleeping bag close to my chest as I felt a painful sting in my chest. I wanted to be the one holding her hand right now, not Kakashi our freaking teacher. I loved her first, this wasn't fair! These men cannot just swoop in and steal her!

"I'm not dead yet..." I heard a familiar voice slammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. I wanted to jump up, I was about to scream with pure delight and wake everyone up in this room! Until I didn't hear Kakashi say anything back, after a moment I was worried, maybe Sakura passed out or maybe I just fabricated her voice. I heard the light sound that I had only heard on TV, my heart clenched when I realized he was kissing her. I was pinned against the cold hospital floor listening to my sensei kissed the woman I have loved since childhood...this had to be crossing a line, somewhere right? He couldn't be doing this! My eyes tickled as I fought an annoying rush of fresh tears, I would not cry over this. I will not take this lying down and without fight! Well...subtract the fact I was laying down right now. If I had to fight for Sakura's attention than so be it! She was well worth the battle that I knew I had coming! How was I going to move and get up without looking like I had been laying here listening to them like a little creep?

"How do you feel?" Kakashi breathed out after a moment.

"Like I was hit by a bus." She breathed out; I could hear pain in her voice. "Where is Raiden and Carver?"

"They are across the room, they are fine. Let me get the doctor-"

"I am fine Kakashi." Sakura cut him off,

"Sakura-" If Kakashi was not going to go get the doctor or wake Tsunade I will hit him the second I am up on my feet! Sakura just flat lined hours ago! She is not fine!

"Everyone is asleep-"

"I don't care, you-"

"I am still breathing."

"Barely." Kakashi sounded so stern, I heard him press a button which I assumed was her call light. After a very quick moment the light was flicked on blinding me!

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Raiden groaned; he wakes up instantly when a freaking light gets turned on but when I have to wake him up it's like trying to wake up a freaking corpse! "Turn the light off!" He snapped rolling onto his side.

"Raiden!" Sakura snapped at the disrespectfulness of her teammate.

"SAKURA!?" Raiden yelled, quickly jumping to sit up the best he could.

"Miss Haruno?" The nurse asked in shock, no one was expecting Sakura to awaken anytime soon. I sat up and looked around the room looking like I had just woken up like everyone else. I looked at Sakura she was slightly sitting up, her beautiful eyes were finally open! Kakashi was holding her hand, his mask on his face as if nothing happened between the two of them. I felt my face heat up a little, I felt like a creepy stalker. Why the hell did I feel like the stalker!? I am not the sensei macking on his student!

"Sakura!" Tsunade smiled, standing from her cot, it still annoyed me she didn't bring enough to share with the class. Sakura looked around at all the people in the room. Tsunade moved to Sakura's side and began to take her vitals, Sakura didn't put up much of a fight. The more I watched her the more I noticed Sakura could barely rip her eyes off Kakashi...how close were these two? I never noticed anything between them before now...

I could see on Sakura's face how tired she was, it was beating down on her like a storm to fall back asleep, but she was fighting it much to my happiness. It was selfish I know, but I wanted to see her awake. I needed to hear her voice and see those blaring eyes drill into my physical being. 

"Sakura." Raiden breathed, he looked happy to see her alive and still kicking. I looked between Raiden and Sakura as I felt a tension begin to brew between the two of them. "I-I am so sorry-" Raiden tried to say. I don't understand why he was bringing this up now! Anyone with sight could see Sakura was exhausted and still needed to rest.

"We should talk in the morning..." I tried to settle the tension.

"This doesn't concern you." Raiden spat glaring at me, I was a little taken back by Raiden's coldness. The sharpness of his eyes was like we never had bonded and became friends over the course of his recovery. I guess not I glared back at him,

"Sakura just woke up from a fucking coma. She can't handle bullshit right now!"

"Naruto." Sakura called, calling me off my assault. I looked back at her and tried to study her stone face, but I got nothing from it. So, I grumped and sat down next to Sasuke who was watching the show.

"Has anyone contacted the Waterfall Village?" She asked running a hand through her long pretty hair. We all looked around at each other, Sakura mainly watched her two teammates who she knew had been awake for a few days now. "Care to explain why you have not contacted Kaguya?" She asked seeing no one was willingly to be the first to answer.

"We have been in and out of it for a while..." Carver muttered not looking directly into Sakura's eyes.

Lair...I thought, contacting the waterfall village never crossed anyone's minds, not once.

"Plus Sakura, you were touch and go for a while so no...calling Kaguya was not on any of our minds. We kept your injuries a secret and not many people even know you're here inside this village." Tsunade stepped up, surprising me. "Plus, with the Reapers running around, I didn't want Kaguya to risk stepping out of her village and possibly getting hurt."

"Yeah." Carver agreed. "You know Kaguya would bring half the Waterfall Village here to get you, that would leave the village weakened and could give the Reaper's the chance they have been looking for to take down the Waterfall Village." I liked how Carver was backing up Tsunade, it was nice.

"We are already responsible for a village being killed off." Sakura said dry and bluntly. I saw Carver and Raiden fletch at the storm of memories that they were trying to bury from the Iron village.

"Sakura..."

"No Raiden." Sakura cut him off shaking her head. "Just no...." She sighed, she really looked like she wanted to go back to bed.

"She was just a child!" Raiden didn't see the hint Carver was glaring at him to shut up, and my dirty look to let Sakura go to fucking sleep!

"Yeah well-" Sakura darkly laughed, "-I had four of them just like her running at me and I did my job." Sakura said hard as red brick.

"They were innocent!" Raiden defended.

"They were going to kill us and the six survivors we had, who are dead now because of your actions." Sakura snapped her eyes were on fire, I sucked in a breath as I was engulfed inside her eyes. I could almost see green flakes burning off her glaring gaze.

"I didn't have a choice!" Raiden defended his actions once more.

"You always have a choice." Sakura snapped back. "Back off Raiden."

"No!" Raiden said, "I feel like shit I let you get hurt, but I stand by my actions inside the Iron-"

"Raiden back off or when we return to the Waterfall Village your position on my team will be under review." Sakura's threat was dipped in a venom I prayed I never had the unpleasure of feeling.

"W-What?" Raiden laughed at the threat, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"No." Sakura said. "If you cannot do one simple task-"

"Killing a five-year-old child, one who we watched since her birth is a simple task to you!?"

"Yes." I looked at Sakura, even I felt how cold her words were from where I was sitting. "We have been through this, the Reapers use children as bait all the time, yes it is sad no, I don't want to kill them but to protect my team and the survivors I did what I had to do, and you couldn't. You almost costed Carver and I our life's."

"She was five!" Raiden yelled as if Sakura could not hear him.

"She had a bomb strapped to her chest and running towards your team. She was going to die either way." Sakura rationalized.

"N-No-!" Raiden refused to listen to Sakura's reasoning.

"If you can let your team die like that then maybe you shouldn't be out in the field. Maybe it is time you retired, maybe you can't handle this anymore." Sakura studied Raiden who appeared to be shutting down under the weight of Sakura's tangible gaze. Raiden surprised me, instead of fighting back he quickly pulled the curtain around his bed, blocking him from our sight as if that was going to transport him somewhere else, somewhere away from his disappointed teammate, who he allowed to be injured.

Sakura sighed and leaned back in her pillow; she closed her eyes as she did so. Everyone was quiet and awkward for a long time. No one knew what to say to break the tension, and truthfully, I believed everyone was too afraid to be the first to speak and risk Sakura's glare turning onto them. Sasuke, Tsunade and I were all looking at each other, feeling a loss of words grasp us.

"Sakura you need to get some sleep, it is late. I will call Kaguya in the morning ok?" Tsunade smiled.

"Thank you Tsunade." Sakura breathed.

Tsunade turned the lights off and returned to her cot to get a few more hours of sleep. Sasuke and I both returned to our sleeping bags, I stretched out feeling relaxed. Sakura was awake, so she is out of the woods now and we can breathe with ease. An hour has past as everyone around me fell asleep. I think I was too excited to sleep, I smiled to myself feeling happy.

I heard movement in the dark, I sat up and looked in Sakura's direction, was she trying to get up? She couldn't! She is so far from being able to stand on her own let alone walk! She probably wants to call Kaguya, which I hated it, but I understood but she can't right now. I got up and pulled out my phone using it as a flashlight. I walked overlooking for a Sakura who was trying to walk around the room. I was confused for a moment looking around the room until I shined the light on her bed.

Kakashi's one exposed eye opened and we stared at each other for a long moment. All the movement I heard was not Sakura trying to get out of bed and go call Kaguya, it was Kakashi getting into bed with Sakura who was holding her. Her face was in his neck and her eyes were closed I wouldn't be surprised if she was already out cold. My heart felt heavy seeing her in the arms of someone else. Growing up Sakura cared for Sasuke and I grew use to being brushed off and put on her back burner, but this feeling that gripped my heart with its fist felt different somehow.

I forced smile after a long moment and tried to recover from the sudden shock. I found myself rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly seeing his sharpen look, daring me to speak. For a moment Kakashi didn't feel like my sensei or friend. I turned my phone off and ran back to my sleeping bag. I laid back down and closed my eyes, as I aggressively tried to ignore the feeling swimming around in my chest.

I woke up to hushed screaming. I saw that Tsunade was outside the door her back faced me as she harshly whispered into her phone. I could tell it was early, the sun was barely waking up as everyone else inside the room slept. Sasuke stirred at the sound but he didn't wake up.

Why was it so cold in here? I stood up and looked for the window that was left open. I sat up; my body felt stiff from sleeping on the floor. I looked over to see Sakura was alone in her bed and Kakashi was missing. I smiled, getting up and walking over to her. I reached out and brushed a strand of her silky pink hair off her face, I was happy she was resting. I liked the fact I got this moment alone with her. It seemed that there was always someone around her and it was impossible to get her alone for two seconds.

I felt the dark clouds that hung over my head clear, letting up the rain that had been beating down onto me all night. I smiled now that it was a new day, I felt I somehow had a shot at earning her attention. My bright new outlook on life didn't last long, Kakashi walked into the room with a cup of hot hospital mud in his hand. I hated the coffee it, it always tastes burnt no matter how much cream and sugar I dumped into it.

"Who is Tsunade talking too?" I whispered as he sat across from me in the chair beside Sakura's bed.

"Kaguya." Kakashi answered.

"Why?" I asked, feeling my eyebrows pull together showing my confusion.

"Because Tsunade promised." Kakashi sighed, I could tell he wasn't happy Kaguya was contacted, neither was I. I looked back at Sakura's sleeping face, we wanted her all to ourselves.

"Why are they fighting?" Carver yawned, sitting up and stretching his arms.

"Kaguya wants to send a team over to bring Sakura, Carver and Raiden back to the Waterfall Village." Kakashi answered, looking back at the door waiting for Tsunade to end the phone call.

"What?!" I gasped quietly, trying to not stir Sakura or Raiden. "Kaguya can't be serious! None of them are stable enough to move, Sakura just flat lined last night!"

"That is what Tsunade is trying to explain, but Kaguya wants Sakura back in her village." Kakashi responded.

"Did you leave this morning?" Carver asked out of nowhere, Huh? I tilted my head confused, "Or was that a dream?" Carver added.

"I did." Kakashi answered, I snapped around to look at him. He left? That is surprising.

"Why did you leave?" I wondered, what was so important he left Sakura's side?!

"I went with Tsunade to check our boarders." Kakashi yawned under his mask.

"Why?" I wondered, "The seals are up so who cares-?"

"Reapers are outside our gates." Kakashi said, my heart fell onto my stomach.

"What?!" I gasped; I didn't really believe they would try to come after Sakura!

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded,

"How many?" Carver wondered. "Did you get a count?"

"Roughly twenty, I am sure there were more we couldn't see." Kakashi answered.

"I figured it was only a matter of time." Carver laid back against his fluffy pillow, "Do you know if anyone else has put their seals up?" Carver added. Other villages had this seal?

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded, "Kaguya mentioned a couple other villages, including hers has activated Sakura's seals."

"Well shit." Carver sighed,

"What?" His tone made me feel uncomfortable.

"I knew with the Iron Village being completely burnt to the ground; no village was going to take the chance to be the Reapers next target." Carver started,

"Ok?" I said slowly.

"The more seals that are put up the harder the strain is going to be on Sakura." Carver spelt out for us. I quickly looked back at her,

"She powers the seals!?" I tried to contain my voice, but it was hard.

"Yes." Carver nodded.

"She can't!"

"Calm down." Carver waved, reaching over and picking up his Jell-O cup.

"I can't calm down!" I turned my body to face him, "She is hurt-"

"Just because she is hurt doesn't mean she can't do her job."

"Her job?" I scoffed; Sakura shouldn't be doing anything accept resting!

"She made promised and deals with a lot of villages, she has to keep her end of the bargain when shit hits the fan." Carver explained looking for a spoon.

"But-"

"Naruto." Carver cut me off, "-Sakura woke up, which means she is stable. Her body may be injured but her chakra isn't. If she was truly still in the woods, then her seals would not be up."

"What do you mean!?" I didn't understand!

"When Sakura places a seal, she gives it its own little pocket of chakra, her seals can last I think about two days without her stepping into power it. The fact our seal is up as well as the others tells me she is stable and is going to be fine." Carver's voice was so stable and sure of himself it made me feel so much better.

"Who knows how many life's her seals have saved." Sasuke yawned, sitting up.

"Yeah..." I agreed, not even realizing that fact.

"Carver-" Sasuke asked standing.

"Yeah?" He muttered with a mouth full of green Jell-O.

"-Why isn't the Waterfall shinobi or soldiers here?" Sasuke wondered yeah, I wondered that too.

"They don't know Sakura is here because if they did, they may try to kill her." Carver shrugged as if that was a normal everyday fucking activity!

"Um..." I spoke up, so many different emotions wanted to explode at once I just didn't know which one to pick first!

"Some soldiers love her, and some want her job." Carver explained reading my face.

"Why is that?" Sasuke wondered, Carver once again shrugged.

"People are stupid?" He answered, but something in his voice was holding back. I felt like he wasn't telling us the full truth. Tsunade hung up her phone, cursing under her breath as she walked into the room and shut the door.

"What's up granny?" I asked as she sat down in a chair.

"That woman..." Tsunade shook her head.

"What did Kaguya say?" Kakashi asked from his chair, looking up from his pervy book.

"Nothing of use." Tsunade shook her head. "The River Village are the ones looking for an antidote for the Reapers poison. Kaguya was all but useless, all she kept repeating was she wanted Sakura returned to her village."

"But..." I scratched my head. "...Sakura's seals are up? I thought no one could get in or out?"

"That's true." Carver answered on his third Jell-O cup.

"Then how does she expect us too..." I trailed off unable to understand the logic.

"Kaguya claimed she could get around Sakura's seal-"

"No." Carver shook his head. "Don't buy into that."

"Why?" Tsunade wondered.

"Because it's a lie?" Carver chuckled. "Kaguya can't get around Sakura's seal any more than I can get out of this damn bed."

"Why?" I wondered; Carver shrugged.

"I don't know, I know Sakura's seal hold a lot of forbidden shit. Maybe that seal is just older than Kaguya herself, but I remember a while ago Kaguya and Sakura got in a fight, and to shut Kaguya up Sakura placed one of her seals around her one similar to the one around this village."

"And Kaguya couldn't get out of it?" Sasuke asked.

"No." Carver shook his head. "It blew my mind."

"You said Sakura's seal, it holds a lot of forbidden shit?" Tsunade backed tracked.

"I did." Carver nodded.

"Will you explain that further?" Tsunade said,

"Wow, she really didn't tell you guys anything." Carver laughed.

"Tell us what?" I asked, looking at Sakura sleeping face.

"Alright-" Carver sighed, "-I will tell you but you have to let me have more Jello-O."

"Deal." Tsunade nodded.

"When Sakura was kicked out of this village, you believe he had the strength of a hundred seals, correct?" Carver questioned, Tsunade nodded. "Yeah, that isn't true."

"What!?" Tsunade and I jumped together.

"Yeah, Sakura has the strength of a thousand seals, truth is there is a lot we don't know about her seal. Even Kaguya was having a hard time understanding its full abilities. One thing we do know though, all the seals that are now attached to her are forbidden and very dark."

"Wha-?" I was blown away.

"That is another reason Sakura is also a target, a lot of people want to get their hands on her to learn everything she knows."

"That is insane!" I said,

"It really is." Carver agreed. "But I think most of the seals Sakura has are either older than Kaguya or near her age because some of the shit I have seen Sakura do terrified me, I couldn't shit right for a week."

"How can Kaguya be so selfish?" I muttered out loud,

"When it comes to Sakura, that is just how Kaguya is." Carver shrugged.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know." Carver answered, "I really don't." He repeated seeing the skepticism on Tsunade's face. "Ever since I met Sakura that is how Kaguya had always behaved, it was one of the reasons I was so shocked Kaguya forced Sakura's to take her exam to be in her army." Carver explained. "But I am pretty sure I can guarantee you that Kaguya doesn't care if Raiden or I return with Sakura. She is only saying she wants all three of us back because she knows Sakura will be pissed if Raiden and I were left behind."

"Well knowing all that-" Sasuke said leaning back against his chair, "-what do you think Kaguya is going to do when she finds out how Sakura was hurt?" I looked from Sasuke and to Raiden who was still asleep.

"If he is lucky to escape with his life-" Carver answered, looking at Raiden with sad eyes. I heard myself gasped along with Tsunade,

"You really think Kaguya would kill Raiden?" Tsunade breathed,

"I do." Carver answered.

"But-"

"Would Sakura allow that-" Carver interrupted me; "-I honestly don't know."

"Of course, she-" I cut myself off, I glanced at Sakura not truly knowing what she would do when she awakes, last night she seemed to be so angered and disappointed in Raiden. But even then, Sakura has become so level headed and she was so smart...she wouldn't allow Raiden to be hurt...right?

"If it was anyone else-" Carver rubbed his face, "-Sakura wouldn't hesitate to punish him." That didn't make me feel better about the harsh reality that could be waiting for Raiden once he recovers.

"Then don't go back there." I found myself answering, "You guys don't really belong to a village, so why not just say here?" I felt so unsure of my words, I didn't even know if I was close enough to Carver and Raiden to be making this suggestion.

"Because of her." Carver nodded in Sakura's direction.

"What?" I stupidly asked.

"We will follow her until we die." Carver smiled at me.

"Why?" I breathed, already knowing the answer because the truth was if I had the same option, I wouldn't hesitate to follow her footsteps.

"Because..." Carver said with a smirk on his lips, "She is our person." I didn't know the reference he was telling me, but I understood the message. I looked at Sasuke and then back to Carver, I knew the feeling all too well.

"What is Raiden going to do?" Tsunade asked worry in her voice.

"He is going to take his punishment and try to regain Sakura's trust." Carver said not ripping his eyes from his teammate sleeping beside him.

"Couldn't Sakura do anything; couldn't she help Raiden somehow?" Tsunade questioned.

"I don't know." Carver whispered.

Tsunade had left us a while ago, having been pulled away by her Hokage duties. Carver dozed off making the room still with silence as Sasuke, Kakashi and myself remained silent allowing the three injured to get the rest they needed. I was on my phone playing a game when the door slammed open. I jumped at the loud voices, snapping up to my feet ready to defend-I huffed, seeing it was just Konoha Eleven standing in the doorway.

"Hi!" Kiba waved with a large smile on his face. I sighed and sat back down; I have no idea how Sakura was not kickstarted awake by them, Carver and Raiden were. Konoha Eleven moved into the large room making it feel very small.

"Hey guys!" Lee smiled only to get shushed by Carver, who gestured to Sakura. I watched as everyone turned to Sakura, different emotions all played out on their faces. Sakura barely spent time with me let alone these guys, I wasn't sure how they could be feeling about a person they no longer knew.

"She is better." I told them, putting my phone in my pocket.

"How much better?" TenTen asked me, "Because last time she flat lined."

"Yeah." I nodded, "That was scary, but she has improved, I promise." I smiled at them. A few people brought balloons and flowers with them; they were setting them down when Hinata poked into the room. She was holding food and a tray of drinks.

"Hinata?" I asked,

"Hey Hinata!" Konoha Eleven cheered seeing their peer.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hinata sounded confused.

"We were worried and wanted to check on how things were going." TenTen answered, placing a vase full of flowers in the window beside Sakura.

"I am sorry, I did not know any of you would be here." Hinata said as she handed me a large bag.

"What's this?" I wondered opening it. Hinata went and handed out drinks to Carver and Kakashi, she placed a drink beside Raiden and Sakura. I looked over seeing her holding an iced coffee out to me. "What is all this?" I asked her, she blushed looking way from me.

"I-I thought that since you all have been inside the hospital with their terrible food, a change would be nice..."

"Wow, thank you!" I smiled, getting up and hugging her.

"Your-Your welcome!" She smiled at me.

"Thank you Hinata." Carver smiled at her,

"It was-was nothing." Hinata blushed as she took the bag and went to pass out sandwiches to Sasuke, Carver and Kakashi.

"This is very sweet of you." Kakashi closed his eye as he smiled at her.

"Hey." Raiden called, his voice cracking a bit from sleep. I smiled; he would wake up when food arrived. "Where is mine?" He smiled weakly, Hinata pulled out a breakfast sandwich and handed it to him.

"How could I forget you?" She asked.

"Thank you." He sat up, taking the food as his mouth watered.

"So." Neji spoke up looking around with his arms crossed over his chest. "How do you guys feel?"

"Like we got our asses handed to us." Carver said flatly. "But thanks for asking." He said taking another bite of his sandwich. There was a low roar of conversation after that, I was just looking back and forth conversations when Tsunade walked in.

"What the hell?" She asked seeing the packed room, Hinata handed her a coffee and a wrapped bagel.

"Yes!" She breathed, taking the biggest bite I have never seen. "Thank you Hinata." She said muffled making Hinata laugh, I smiled at the light sound. I never noticed how cute Hinata's laugh was. "Alright, everyone make room for the good doctors or clear out." She called taking a seat, everyone was silent as the nurses took vitals and Dr. Yu checked Sakura's wound. Sakura's eyes opened, I stood from my seat feeling excited. Sasuke was next to me trying to get a closer look, my eyebrows furrowed together. Sakura wasn't really registering anything that was going on around us.

"It's the medication." Tsunade said, seeing my face.

"How long will it affect her?" Carver asked.

"Until we stop giving her the medicine."

"And when will that be?" Sasuke wondered.

"When she is more stable." Tsunade said, taking another large bit of her bagel.

"Is she feeling any pain?" Raiden asked.

"No." Tsunade smiled, "I wouldn't be surprised if she can taste the color 204." Everyone laughed at Tsunade's joke, after she finished her bagel she stood with a sigh. "I have a few things to tend too, I only stopped by to check on Sakura."

"Ok granny." I nodded, "I'll text you if anything changes with her."

"Thank you." Tsunade nodded, "Alright, I can't allow sixteen of you in here at once. You guys are going to have to rotate, figure it out yourselves." She said as she walked out.

We all looked around at each other for a long moment.

"Well I can't leave." Raiden said joking, breaking up the tension brewing.

"I'm not leaving." I declared, with a look in my eyes daring anyone to challenge me.

"Figure it out in the lobby." Sasuke said when everyone started to bicker. "You are going to wake everyone up on this floor."

"Why do you get to stay here?" Shino asked Sasuke.

"Because I have been here for almost a week."

"That's only because no one else knew they were here." TenTen rolled her eyes.

"I don't care." I said, "Figure this out in the waiting room, and Hinata brought us breakfast so she gets a pass to stay." I smiled at her, she instantly blushed and looked to her feet.

Ino shot me a dirty look as every piled out of the room, trying to figure out who can stay and who goes, I let out a yawn and rubbed my face. Living in a hospital took a lot of out you.

"Thank you...Naruto." Hinata said, sitting in the chair beside me.

"Thank you for breakfast." I smiled, I looked up hearing the door open as Ino, Choji and Shikamaru walked in. That was fast.

"Hey guys." Shikamaru said.

"Hey." I called back, he sat down in one of the chairs and yawned "It is so early."

"It is noon." Sasuke said.

"Yeah, early." He repeated, I chuckled a little I completely agreed with him! The three who got to stay looked around awkwardly. Kakashi was a sensei not a buddy that you could just open up too. I understood why the three were looking around not knowing what to say or how to keep a conversation going with him in the room. Kakashi was in his chair, reading away with his pervy little book.

Unlike my team Konoha Eleven were not teamed up with their sensei's they created their own team and moved on past their teachers to start their own shinobi careers. Sasuke and I stuck with Kakashi, Sakura was gone we thought she was dead. Sai was busy doing other things and we needed a team. Kakashi stepped up, so team seven could be left standing.

"So Sasuke." Ino got over the awkwardness of Kakashi being here quickly. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"Yesterday, holding me the way you did." She blushed. "It really helped me out."

"I did that to stop you from running in to this room." Sasuke said bluntly. "If you did you could have killed Sakura." Ino did not say anything for a long time. Everyone stood around the room feeling weird about being around this situation, I bit my lip looking at Hinata who looked just as uncomfortable as I did.

"It was still nice." Ino said smiling blindly at Sasuke, I looked at Sakura. Thank God she moved on from this womanizing dick! He was my best friend and all but that didn't mean he was any less of a jerk.

"Um, how about we watch some TV?" Carver asked, breaking the thick silence swirling around the room.

"Yes!" I jumped on the idea, "TV, great idea Carver!" Carver flicked on the TV screen and we all watched it, pretending that Ino wasn't just shot down for the hundredth time. After twenty minutes it was still so awkward! Ino kept trying to talk to Sasuke, and she kept talking over the TV. I sighed and looked at her again feeling super annoyed. How could Sai like her!? What was wrong with him?! On his last mission was he hit on his head or something!? I groaned again rubbing my head as Ino kept talking about literally nothing. Carver sighed annoyed trying to watch TV, I looked at Sakura again I had no idea how she could sleep through Ino's babbling. Kakashi got called away by Tsunade, something was up but I saw the look Kakashi and Tsunade gave me, they didn't want me to leave Sakura's side and so...I was trapped in a room with Ino's voice.

"Hey!" Carver finally snapped, making Ino and me jump. "I don't really get to watch TV. So, can I just watch in with no one trying to talk over it!?" He asked, Ino just rolled her eyes.

"I am not being that loud." Ino flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"If you weren't being that loud, I wouldn't be saying something to you." Carver sounded really annoyed.

"Whatever." Ino said, but went on talking to Sasuke...

"Ok!" Carver snapped after ten minutes, he lasted longer than I thought he would, Ino had been trying to flirt with Sasuke unsuccessfully. "Clearly the boy isn't into you! He is not responding to you! He isn't flirting back! So please stop looking like a desperate fool and stupid up! I want to watch this in peace!"

"How dare you!" Ino said standing. "I-"

"Why are you even in here?" Carver asked.

"What do you mean?" Ino stuttered.

"I don't like you, Raiden doesn't like you, I know Sakura doesn't like you, and if you are in here to show support to then why haven't you even looked over in her direction once since you have walked into this room?"

"I-I have-"

"No, you haven't. You have been glued to Sasuke who has shown zero interest in you." Carver sighed bored, "Just leave. Let someone else in here who is actually worried come in." Ino just looked around the room looking for backup. Everyone glanced away from her gaze when it would meet theirs, she then stormed out of the hospital room. I coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of my head not knowing how to change the subject. "What?" Carver asked seeing all eyes were on him. "She was being rude." He defeated himself. "What is for dinner?" I got up and picked up the hospital menu. "No! Not that stuff, the food here is gross!" Carver whined causing me to laugh.

"You know we can't give you anything else but what the doctors approve." Hinata said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised Tsunade didn't see Carver eating the breakfast you brought him!" I chuckled.

"The food is so gross!" Carver whined, I had to admit he looked cute when he pouted. "The cooks forget to add flavor, and every time they bring me something it tastes like a bag of smashed assholes!" I laughed at Carvers expression of our hospital food.

"Well when you get discharged, we will all go out to eat and then you can eat whatever you want." I smiled at him. We all jumped hearing a loud noise, but it was just Raiden who was snoring loudly, we all then laughed. He was asleep hard, his mouth was hanging open and every so often drool was drip down his mouth and we all would do rock, paper, scissors to see who would go clean it, I always lost. Sakura hadn't woken up since the middle of the night, whatever they put her on she was out cold as well. I was dying to talk to her...I looked up from my phone as Kakashi walked in the room, Tsunade was right behind him.

"How is she?" Tsunade asked walking right to her side.

"Same as the last fifty times you asked me." I muttered, every ten minutes Tsunade would make me get up and text her all the little numbers that were on the monitors that were connected to Sakura.

"Where have you guys been?" Sasuke asked. Yeah, where have they been?

"Around the border of the village." Kakashi answered. "More Reapers showed up."

"Really!?" I gasped pulling all my attention to Kakashi.

"Yeah, we think they are watching the village, trying to spot Sakura, Raiden or Carver."

"Sakura was right." Carver said not taking his eyes off the TV.

"About what?" Shikamaru asked.

"The Reapers are trying to find Sakura so they can finish the job while she is still injured." Carver turned and looked at Tsunade.

"Well they are not getting to her or to you two." Tsunade declared. Carver didn't say anything he just went back to watching TV with a small smile on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

I sighed with a smile, feeling refreshed after my hot shower. I slid on my shoes and grabbed my bag. I was thankful the hospital was allowing us to use their employee showers while we were crashing here. My skin felt clean and I didn't feel like a dirty ball of germs anymore. I walked to room 407, where I have been staying for two weeks now while Sakura, Carver and Raiden recover from the ambush in the Iron Village which was now burnt to ashes.

I walked in and closed the door behind me, it was mid-day and I feeling ready to get some TV time in! Carver and I have been watching a show together that we both enjoyed, and the new episode was on tonight!

"Well it's about time." Her voice sent shivers down my back as I quickly spun around on my heel. Sakura's hospital bed was reclined up in a sitting position, she was looking at me amused watching my shocked expression painted on my face. "I almost sent someone to check and make sure you didn't fall." Sakura's cracked a smile on her soft pink lips.

"Sakura?" I breathed, walking to the foot of her bed and stared in disbelief. "Your awake?"

"Clearly." She rolled her eyes; she turned her head to Tsunade who was sitting by her side. I studied her jaw line and my eyes trailed down on her neck; it was the most beautiful neck I had ever seen! A white blanket covered her legs, I saw her left arm had a bandage wrapped around the forearm.

"How do you feel?" I wondered, setting my bag down without ever taking my eyes off her.

"I am fine Naruto." Sakura's voice was like music to my ears! All of a sudden the room cleared, and the air felt cleaner due to the atmosphere Sakura naturally projected around her. I pulled a chair up to sit beside Tsunade who was talking about her condition. As the two spoke large words I didn't really understand I couldn't stop staring at Sakura and the way she held herself, she appeared to be so strong even though she almost died two weeks ago. It was almost as if she was brushing off the fact, she dragged her two teammates off a battle ground and barely kept her life it was...amazing.

My arm itched, I reached over and scratched it but then a memory popped into my head. The night Sakura flat lined, the pain that exploded inside my arm...

"Sakura...?" I looked up in her direction, she pulled her attention off Tsunade and onto me.

"Hm?" She asked.

"What happened to the seals you put on us?" I asked, I noticed Kakashi and Sasuke's attention perked up.

"What do you mean?" She countered.

"Well...one night when you...um...I felt pain in my arm, does that mean your seal is off me?" I explained my question further.

"Yes." Sakura said, turning back to Tsunade to continue their conversation.

"But-" I blurted, "-But you didn't die-"

"Well she kinda did." Tsunade said, sipping a tea.

"You didn't tell us that!" I turned to granny

"What do you think flat lined meant?" Tsunade asked me, I shrugged.

"I don't know-!"

"I pull them off you." Sakura cut in.

"Wha-?" I was taken back.

"The seals I placed on you three take up a lot of chakra, normally I can maintain it but I with five large village's putting up their seals and my body trying to heal itself I had to delegate where my chakra went."

"You could do that?" I breathed, so amazed by Sakura's abilities.

"Yes."

"Even in your coma?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes."

"Were you even in a coma?" Sasuke wondered.

"I was."

"Your so cool Sakura!" I smiled at her.

"And we contacted Kaguya." Tsunade remembered,

"Yeah?" Sakura asked.

"Yes." Tsunade's face was so stern, I was a little surprised when Sakura lightly laughed.

"How did that go?"

"Perfectly fine." Tsunade painted a smile.

"Oh really?" Sakura chuckled, "She didn't argue? She didn't demand we be returned to the Waterfall Village?"

"You sure you weren't in a coma?" Sasuke asked again.

"I am sure." Sakura had a playful smirk on her lips, I felt excited seeing that. "I have just known Kaguya a long time."

I was about to suggest we get takeout from ichiraku ramen for lunch and maybe even for dinner too. It has been so long since I have had been there! I felt the withdraws start to scratch at me! I looked up seeing Sakura had pulled the blanket off her legs and she was getting up!? Tsunade and Kakashi jumped before I could,

"What are you doing!?" Kakashi was alarmed.

"Sakura you cannot get up!" Tsunade lectured as they tried to get her back into bed without having to touch her. Sakura smiled; my heart clenched as my breath got stuck in my throat. It was a real smiled that blossomed across her face, her eyes shined as she turned and looked in my direction at Tsunade giving me a full view of the blue moon occurrence. I can't remember Sakura ever giving us a genuine smile before, it was fantastic. Sakura stretched her muscles; I heard a light pop and she sighed looking to she felt a little better.

"Sakura-" I went to lecture her as well, she needed to rest. Her head tilted my way as she smiled again causing my heart to flutter.

"I have had much worse Naruto; I am going to be fine." She said, turning to Carver who was ignoring us watching TV and Raiden who was asleep. "Are you going to get up or fuse with that bed instead?" She called, I felt confused. These three were injured, they needed to lay around and recover! Carver sighed, flicking the Tv off and pulling the blanket back.

"What-?" I breathed as Tsunade moved past me.

"You are in no condition-" Tsunade lectured as he blocked Carver from moving.

"Sakura-!" I sighed, seeing she had moved away from her bed and she was beside Kakashi going through her bag which was on the small counter behind where Kakashi had been sitting. She pulled clothing and went to move towards the bathroom but Kakashi blocked her.

"You need to get back into bed." Kakashi said looking down at her, he held over a foot of height over her but that didn't faze Sakura.

"Are you going to make me?" Sakura asked, I had to stop my mouth from dropping open,

"Sak-Sakura!" I stepped in, "You are hurt-"

"Like I said-" Sakura side stepped around Kakashi who was not expecting her to move so fast in her condition. "-I am fine." Sakura said walking into the bathroom. I sighed defeated, I turned to Carver who was laughing at Tsunade.

"I demand you get back in bed!" Tsunade placed her hands on her hips.

"You demand me?" Carver smiled at the blonde woman in front of him.

"Yes!" Tsunade glared not backing down. Carver leaned forward, cupping Tsunade's chin as he was inches from her face.

"I am the only one who gets to demand-"

"Hey-!" Tsunade jumped back, her face beat red I knew my mouth was hanging open. She hit him on the shoulder. "Get-Get back in bed!" I looked around the room wondering what the fuck was going on!? It was like someone flipped a switch on Carver and he was back to his pervy ways. The bathroom door opened, and Sakura walked out dressed in black pants and a loose looking dark blue shirt. She left her hair down which was about as rare as one of her smiles.

"No-" Tsunade waved her hand at Sakura. "-no to all of this. Get back in there and change back into your hospital clothes."

"I'm not going to do that." Sakura said moving to where her bag was, I watched her pull out a phone, but it wouldn't turn on since it was dead. Sakura sighed, turning back to her bag probably looking for her charger.

"You two are in no condition to be up and moving around!" Tsunade was looking mad, I almost saw steam smoking out her ears. "I did not sit by your bedsides for the past two weeks worrying about you and treating-"

"Thank you." Sakura cut Tsunade off having plunged in her phone.

"What-Er..." Tsunade stumbled, Sakura was acting a little out of character. Maybe she was still really hurt, and therefore her behavior is different!

"Thank you all for looking out for us while we were down." Sakura went on. "I know it was probably difficult and a shock having us blow into your village the way we did but you looked out for me and my team and I thank you."

"Well-I-Yeah..." Tsunade stuttered shaking her head up and down, looking proud like she had constructed a proper sentence.

"I will pay you for the room and treatment for the three of us." Sakura said setting her phone beside her bag. "Just let me know-"

"There's no need for that." Tsunade said with a wave of her hand. "You three has saved this village I don't know how many times; it is the least we could do."

"Alright." Sakura said, not pushing the matter further she then turned to the bed Raiden laid in. I looked at Sasuke worried, I had no idea how Sakura was going to react when he woke up and-- "Are you going to continue to fake it or...?" Sakura trailed off Sasuke and I exchanged looks when Raiden slowly sat up. He hasn't been sleeping this entire time!?

"Sakura..." Raiden wouldn't look in her direction.

"I see you two have been milking it." Sakura sat on the end of her bed looking at her two comrades. I knew this was a high stress situation where Raiden was going to have to answer for allowing his team to be injured but damn...Sakura looked look the way she leaned against that hospital bedroom looking like a model pulled right from her magazine.

"We have not." Carver rolled his eyes crossing his arms over his chest.

"Really?" Sakura tilted her head in the cutest way possible as Carver tried to match her glare.

"Well-" Carver failed looking away from Sakura, "-you can't blame us."

"How so?" Sakura asked, I was amazed she looked so much like her normal self, seeing her now almost made me feel like for the past two weeks I had been staring at a stranger.

"I mean would you want to deal with them-?" Carver pointed towards us.

"Hey!" I defended.

"-they would have fought us every second if we tried to move around so we just...kinda..."

"Milked it." Sakura finished for him.

"Yeah..." Carver sighed. Sakura sighed shaking her head, but she didn't look mad, I honestly couldn't tell what she was thinking. Raiden stood from his bed and moved to stand a few feet from Sakura.

"Sakura." Raiden bowed his head. "I am ready for my punishment."

"Wait-!" I stood as did the others in the room, my heart flipped from the sudden fear that slammed against it.

"Don't-" Raiden told me and everyone else in the room. "-I deserve what is coming."

"But you-"

"Naruto." Raiden cut me off, I sighed shaking my head. This wasn't fair! Sakura stood from the hospital bed, I wanted to move and block her path but the thing about Sakura was...she was so amazing to be around; she gave me a high I didn't know could exist. She felt like-Sakura felt like you were standing on the top of a seventy-foot skyscraper without safety equipment, it was exciting and filled your body with a high you never wanted to come down from. But your standing sixty feet in the air on a beam without safety equipment to save you should you slip, and that fear was what kept me from running into Sakura's path.

Raiden had his arms behind his back and kept his down looking at the floor. My mouth dropped open as I watched Sakura extend her arms out and pull him into a hug, Sasuke and I looked at each other so confused!

"Sakura?" Raiden breathed.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I should have been able to-"

"No!" Raiden shook his head. "You did everything you should have done. You will not put what I failed to do on your shoulders. I deserve to be punished-"

"Fine." Sakura said, dropping my heart into the pit of my abdomen. Sakura pulled away from Raiden and looked at him. "You're stuck-on guard duty with Team Seven."

"Uh-What?" Raiden shook his head as Sakura laughed at his confused expression.

"I am not going to punish you Raiden everyone in your position would of hesitated, what I said when I came too...I was in a lot of pain and that isn't an excuse."

"You didn't hesitate." Raiden muttered,

"I know." Sakura said.

"Why-"

"Because I will kill anything that comes after my team." Sakura smiled, "Simple as that."

"Sakura..." Raiden breathed, pulling her into a tight embrace. Sakura flinched, causing Raiden to jump away with his arms out wide around her. Tsunade and Kakashi moved forward.

"It's fine." Sakura said calling off the four people surrounding her.

"But you-"

"I am still recovering so yeah I am fucking sore." Sakura playfully said at Raiden who looked sickened and scared. Tsunade walked up to Sakura quickly and pulled up her shirt, exposing her stomach as she examined her wounds. I felt myself drooling, Sakura had an amazing body.

"Amazing." Tsunade breathed, "It looks like your well a month into your recovery but your not..."

"She may have that poison in her system but she is so use to it, I think it only slows down her healing abilities now." Carver joked.

"You couldn't think to tell me that two weeks ago!?" Tsunade yelled, getting worked up.

It took two hours of yelling and debate for Tsunade to agree to allow Sakura, Carver and Raiden out of the hospital. Sakura claimed she didn't need to be taking up a bed from someone who may need it, she wasn't a fan of hospitals now I guess...I mean she use to work in one when she lived her but then again, she has drastically changed why did this one thing shock me so much?

To shut Tsunade up from nagging in Sakura's ear she agreed to Tsunade terms which were my team would crash with her at the apartment she has been using and watch her and the others, just to make sure they were as fine as they claimed to be. I plopped on the couch watching everyone pile into the apartment, Sakura was the last in due to talking with Tsunade. Carver sat beside me as Raiden went on the hunt for food. I looked up from my phone seeing Sakura had closed the door and looking around at the five men looking at her. I give her twelve hours before she kills us all.

\----

"Sakura." Sasuke spoke up, I looked over to him from the tv. "Can I ask you something?"

"Why not?" Sakura answered not looking up from her phone. "You're already talking." I loved her bitterness.

"You said as Raiden's punishment, he would be stuck on patrol with us..." I perked up hearing this information...yeah! She did say that!

"What about it?" Sakura responded.

"Does that mean you're going to be inside the Leaf Village for a while?" Sasuke questioned,

"I don't know about a while." Sakura said finally looking up from her phone, her eyes were so pretty.

"What are we talking about?" Carver asked walking towards us with a bag of chips in his hands.

"We are wondering if you guys will be hanging around here for a while." I caught him up, staring at Sakura waiting.

"Oh." Carver nodded, not really caring since he had food.

"Where are we going?" Raiden wondered. "Are you keeping us here or sending us somewhere-" Sakura cut in off with an annoyed sigh, her face didn't look too pleased either.

"I don't know how long a while will be, so I am not going to give you a number." Sakura looked more at me than anyone else, I felt like I was in trouble. "But you two can't go running around any time soon-"

"You guys said you were ok though!" I butted in, feeling worried now.

"We are fine Naruto." Sakura said for the tenth time today. "We don't need to be inside a hospital but traveling and getting into a fight is a different story."

"So..." I trailed off "You'll be here a while-"

"Those two will be here until they fully recover and can defend themselves." Sakura cut me off. "I already spoke to Tsunade about all this."

"What about you?" Sasuke asked,

"I may pop out every once and awhile, but you all know by now how my village works."

"They will try to..." I trialed off, not liking the thought about Sakura getting hunted all because of a job title.

"I don't need a bunch of my soldiers trying to attack me and then getting themselves killed." Sakura was confident in her abilities as ever. "Plus, the Reapers still want something from your village. Now that their attempt at taking me down as failed I am sure their next move will be to take whatever it is, they want from this place."

"So, you're going to be around." I summed up; Sakura sighed but a small smile rested on her lips.

"Yes." Sakura answered, making me want to jump up and hug her! "Which reminds me-" Sakura said, turning to look at Carver and Raiden. "-I will be bringing Dawn here tomorrow."

"Huh?" I looked away from the TV.

"Hm? What for?" Carver asked.

"Just to drop off a few things." Sakura said.

"Like..." Carver drew out.

"My favorite thing in the world." Sakura's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Paperwork!" Raiden guessed, laughing at Sakura's blank face.

"Oh yeah." Carver nodded, "That has probably been piling up."

"Yeah." Sakura halfway snapped. "Remind me a little more." I learned Sakura really didn't like paperwork.

"Where did Tsunade go?" I wondered, I thought she would hang out for at least a few hours.

"She went to the arena." Sakura answered, looking back at her phone.

"The arena?" Sasuke muttered. "Why?"

"Because she is collecting the team I had sent here, and I am going to send them back to the Waterfall Village." Sakura answered.

"Why?" I wondered, "Why is Tsunade doing that?"

"Because no one needs to know I am here." Sakura responded, "Therefore, I can't be the one to go get the team and send them back. I have my seal open and ready for them to be transported through."

"Why send them back?" Kakashi questioned, who was sitting beside Sakura. He lowered his little pervy book to look at her. I can't believe he was so open to reading that porn book around people!

"Because your village doesn't need them." Sakura answered.

"How so?" Kakashi counted.

"Because we are here." Sakura said looking up and into his one exposed eye, I looked over at Carver and Raiden they both had a smirk on their face. They looked so proud Sakura counted on them as much as she leaned on them...I wished Sakura would look at me like she looked at them...

\----

I followed Carver and the others to the arena where Sakura's seal was placed where she would bring her second commander here. Raiden was walking beside me. I heard a crunch, so I turned to him lately every time I see this guy, he has some type of food in his hand. We got to the arena quickly, it was chilly out and I was hoping this wouldn't take long because I was already feeling cold. Carver said Sakura would meet us at her seal, I wonder where she went off too.

There were strange marks I have never seen before glowing in a bright circle. I looked at the dirt around it, I could still see traces of blood. Blood that belonged to Sakura, Carver and Raiden who entered the village through this seal barley escaping with their life's. Carver was looking down at the blood stains shaking his head.

"Man..." He muttered. "I'm sorry we put you guys through that."

"You didn't put us through anything." Sasuke's voice was stern, he and Carver had been getting close the past two weeks. Wind whipped around pulling my attention onto what was going on around me. I had to shield my eyes due to the massive force once the wind broke, I looked up and tilted my head confused.

"Kaguya." Tsunade glared taking a few steps closer. There stood Kaguya and three other people behind her, dressed in all black gear. They wore masks over their faces. I remember back when Raiden held that huge party for the leaf village, Sakura's friend Annora showed pictures of Sakura through the five years that she had been gone. I remember a picture of Sakura wearing that same gear, they belonged to the waterfall's black ops.

"Tsunade." Kaguya nodded her head. "Nice to meet you in person finally."

"I hadn't realized Sakura had a change of plans. She didn't tell me you would be coming instead of Dawn."

"Yes well, Sakura doesn't know I came instead. I can't really have my first and second commanders here in the Leaf Village, now can I?" Kaguya asked, "Besides..." Kaguya said, locking her eyes on Raiden. "There are punishments that are needed to be given out." In a heartbeat the three shinobi behind Kaguya jumped, grabbing Raiden. They moved so fast, I barely felt them slide past me!

"Raiden!" Carver yelled; he went to move but Kaguya demanded he stand put. Carver had a tight face, his eyes sharp as he did as told. I was confused, I thought he didn't work for Kaguya so why he listening to her? Why was Kaguya punishing Raiden?! Sakura already said she wasn't going to hold him to what happened in the iron village. How did she even know it was Raiden's fault to begin with!?

No one moved or said anything until Kaguya did.

"Now where is Sakura?" Kaguya said looking around at us. "Take me to her. I have to get her to the Waterfall Village." Tsunade glared at Kaguya who was watching the three masked shinobi push Raiden onto his knees and cuff him. Tsunade was about to open her mouth when I felt a crushing force wrap around my chest and squeeze. I looked over my shoulder and saw Sakura walking towards us, her long hair was pulled back and blowing in the wind as her face was twisted, revealing just how she was pissed off.

"Stand down!" Her voice called out, the raw power in her voice made my skin crawl.

"Sakura." Kaguya breathed, I saw joy spread across Kaguya's features. It looked strange on her face. So, Carver had been right Kaguya really did look to Sakura as a daughter. Sakura ignored Kaguya, instead her eyes were glaring at the three-ninja holding Raiden onto the dirt.

"Do not make me repeat myself." She said, glaring into their beings. The three didn't know what to do, they looked to Sakura than to Kaguya.

"They do not take orders from you, they take-" Kaguya tried to say,

"I said stand down!" Sakura spat. The three jumped up, ripping their hands-off Raiden's body. They stood at attention once on their feet, Kaguya looked taken back that the three black op shinobi listened to Sakura over Kaguya. Hell, I almost moved back at Sakura's voice. I swallowed the lump in my throat as Sakura walked past me and stood in front of the leader of the Waterfall Village. I thought Sakura was scary before she went missing years ago, but how she was now is a whole new level of terrifying.

"Get those handcuffs off him." Sakura ordered,

"No-" Kaguya tried to speak again,

"They take their orders from me." Sakura glared.

"But I am the-"

"Who do you think they are more afraid of?" Sakura asked, cutting Kaguya off again. "You or me?" My vote was on Sakura. "Do you want to tell me why the fuck your standing here and not Dawn?"

"What do you mean?" Kaguya asked looking around at our strange faces.

"I sent for Dawn."

"And I came in her place, anything you wanted her here for I can do."

"Oh, so you brought all the paperwork that I need to catch up on?" Sakura asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Paperwork?" Kaguya asked confused.

"That's why I sent for her!" Sakura glared. "She was going to bring me everything I needed!"

"You can just return home. You don't need anything to be brought here." Kaguya said.

"You know the moment I step into the village half the army will on me."

"You can take them-"

"Whether or not I could defend myself was never an issue, the fact that I don't want to have to kill half the fucking army is."

"I-" Kaguya stuttered.

"I swear to God if you don't get those handcuffs off him right now, you three will have me to deal with." Sakura ignored Kaguya and turned to the three shinobi who quickly scrambled to get the handcuffs off Raiden. Carver quickly pulled Raiden to his feet and pulled him behind me and Sasuke.

"He needs to be punished-" Kaguya glared past my head and at Raiden.

"You seem to have forgotten Kaguya." Sakura said stepping right up to Kaguya, she got right in her face." Raiden does not belong to the waterfall village; he belongs to me. You have no right to come to this village uninvited and illegally arresting people."

"But Sakura-" Kaguya started but got cut off by Sakura again, I looked behind Kaguya at the circle which started to glow again.

"Now get the fuck out of this village." Sakura said as she turned and walked away.

"Sakura-"

"I did not fucking stutter Kaguya!" Sakura snapped, "You have embarrassed yourself enough for one day, leave." I felt my mouth open in surprise when Kaguya did as told, she walked into the bright circle with the three black ops shinobi. Wind collected around them and after a moment the wind erupted, leaving an empty space.

"Hey-" Tsunade breathed, she caught Sakura before falling back. I moved forward quickly getting closer to Sakura as did everyone else.

"Are you ok?!" I yelled, feeling panicked. Sakura was breathing heavy like she had just won a race.

"I'm good." She breathed.

"You overdid it." Tsunade sighed, shaking her head.

"We should get her to bed." I said.

"I do not need to go to bed." Sakura told me, standing on her own after a moment she sighed. Even though she claimed to be fine she still looked tired. I wonder how much chakra she used bringing Kaguya here and then making her leave.

"Hey!" I looked up at the sound of Carver's voice. Sakura had taken a few steps away from our small group. "Where the hell are you going?!" He lectured, I think he agreed Sakura needed rest. "Sakura!" Carver called again seeing she was ignoring us. She stopped and turned to look at him,

"What?" She asked,

"Where are you-"

"I don't have to explain myself." Sakura answered as she vanished just like that. Carver groaned sounding very annoyed.

"That woman will be the death of me!" He grunted,

"I'm hungry." Raiden muttered.

"Me too." Carver sighed looking my way, I flinched a little when I saw he looked at me. "You up for some ramen?"

"Of course!" I jumped feeling super excited!

Carver, Raiden, Sasuke and I went to ichiraku ramen for lunch, it was fantastic! Carver and Raiden were really starting to open up to us and get to know us and the leaf village. Kiba and Lee swung by and joined us, after an hour and a half we got up and left ichiraku ramen. Kakashi was walking past us, his masked face in his book.

"Hey Kakashi!" Carver called, Kakashi looked up.

"Hm?" He hummed.

"You wanna come join us?" Carver questioned, I looked at him confused. I didn't know we were going someplace else.

"For?"

"If left alone for too long Sakura will work herself to death." Carver explained. "We are going to go scoop her up and feed her." Carver smiled; I raised an eyebrow feeling like he had something hidden motive we didn't know about.

"Sure-" Kakashi smiled with his eye closed, "-I'll tag along."

"Awesome-" Carver nodded, "-let's go." With that we all walked to the Hokage tower with a light conversation keeping me entertained. We walked up a flight of stairs, turned two corners and we were at the room Sakura had been using while stationed here with us. Carver open the door and instantly I heard Sakura's voice. Shivers crawled down my arms hears the strong power laced through each of her letters. Her tone didn't scare Carver and Raiden who walked in anyway and plopped down at the end of the conference table. Carver saw my hesitation and smiled, waving me in. I sighed, closing the door and quickly sitting beside Sasuke.

"I am ordering you to return here at once!" Kaguya's voice turned my attention to the large screen against the wall across the room. Sakura stood in front of it, her arms crossed over her chest and looking very unpleased.

"I don't take fucking orders from you." Sakura said.

"Sakura-"

"And you should remember the reason why your standing where you are right now." Sakura added, I glanced at Sasuke who looked just as concerned as I did.

"This is ridiculous Sakura, you need-"

"I don't need you to tell me how to do my fucking job as if you're doing yours." Sakura snapped,

"I am doing-"

"What Kaguya?" Sakura cut her off, "What job have you been doing? Because last time I checked I am the one running the fucking village and you're just sitting back reaping in the benefits while I work my ass off."

"This is a conversation we need to have in private." Kaguya said.

"No, it isn't." Sakura quickly responded, walking to the table where her laptop sat, "Because I am done with it."

"Sakura, this isn't over."

"Um...yeah it is." Sakura said, "Dawn do you have everything under control?"

"Yes Commander." The woman behind Kaguya nodded, it seemed Sakura was having a conversation with Dawn when Kaguya interrupted. With that answer Sakura ended the call and closed the laptop.

"So how did it go?" Carver smiled, earning him an annoyed look.

"What did Dawn say?" Raiden wondered.

"Not much-" Sakura looked really annoyed, probably because of Kaguya. "-Before we were interrupted-" Ah, I was right. "-She said the Reapers have surrounded the Waterfall Village."

"Looking for you?" I asked.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed rubbing her neck. She looked really stressed out and I didn't like it.

"Alright." Carver stood, "Let's go."

"Go?" I asked.

"It looks like you need a drink-" Carver said to Sakura, "-and I could use one too." Carver smile at me and winked.

"You guys go-" Sakura started, looking at the computer. I felt disappointed she wasn't going to come with us.

"Nope." Carver shook his head, he walked over and wrapped and arm around her. "You're coming whether you like it or not."

"Are you going to make me?" Sakura asked her tone was flat, but her eyes sparkled like they did she was amused by something.

"If I must, I will make team seven take you on." Carver smirked, she turned and looked at us. For a moment her eyes masked that of a wild tiger, I felt fear as a questioned nagged itself in my brain. If I ever had to go up against Sakura, who would win?

"Already having them do your dirty work?" Sakura turned back to Carver.

"What...?" Carver trailed off. "No..." He smiled, "Come on, it'll be fun. Do you remember what fun is?" Carver teased.

"No." Sakura answered.

"Come on buzz kill." Raiden jumped up, moving towards them.

"Drinks are on me." Carver said,

"And I will buy you food." Raiden added with a chuckle seeing Sakura's eyes light up at the sound of food, she was so freaking adorable!

"I'm not a buzz kill." Sakura muttered to herself causing me to smile as she allowed Carver and Raiden to pull her out of the conference room.

\----

Sakura was sitting on the couch in her borrowed apartment eating a burger. Fries and a large coke were sitting in her lap as she watched TV, she looked very entertained by the zombies on the screen. Carver muttered how she loved zombie and virus type of movies. I learned Sakura also loved sweets, which was different than what I knew. Before she went missing Sakura hated sugar, coke was her favorite thing to drink but if not watched she will drink a twenty-four pack of coke without even trying. I saw how Carver and Raiden looked out for Sakura in different ways than she looked out for them. They had each other's backs and they knew so much about each other...I wanted that with her, to know what she was thinking without her having to tell me.

Carver was in the kitchen; they just returned from the store and was mixing a bunch of different liquids together. I peeked over the back of the couch as my stomach turned just looking at all the types of alcohol they were putting into the punch. I was going to die tonight for sure. I turned back around looking at Sakura as I did so, I think this was the first time I seen her this laid back. I loved seeing her take charge and seeing how powerful she really was and as much as that side of her enticed me, it was refreshing to see there was still a person under her commander title.

"Here." I looked up; a blue solo cup was in my face. I took it without question and inside was a deep red liquid.

"What's in it?" I wondered,

"Just drink it." Carver said, handing Sakura the same blue cup.

"But-" I saw how much liquor they put into this, I knew the second I took a sip my throat was going to burn, and my face was going to scrunch together. I didn't want to look stupid in front of Sakura I looked back at her and did a double take. She was drinking from the cup, her eyes never leaving the TV screen and her face remained so pretty. I looked back the drink in my hand, I took a breath and raised the rim to my lips. It was sweet and tasted like fruit punch, I was surprised.

"Good isn't it?" I jumped, seeing Carver had been behind me the entire time watching me. "Big Baby." Carver laughed walking away.

"Er...thanks." I muttered into the cup refusing to look up as I felt my face heat feeling embarrassed. Kakashi was sat in between Sakura and me. I grumped, not liking this. Sasuke and the other two were on the floor. Everyone was quiet as the movie played itself out it was a good movie, but this was one of those rare times Sakura was here, and I wanted to talk to her! I was about to die; it took forty-five minutes of this movie to end!

The credits rolled onto the screen and Raiden jumped up to turn the lights on. Carver got up to refill his glass. I stood from the couch, having to pee when the room bounced confusing me.

"Whoa." Raiden laughed, gripping my shoulder balancing me on my feet. I realized my body felt numb, "You ok?" I nodded my head at Raiden.

"Ah, maybe I made it to strong." Carver laughed coming into my view beside Raiden.

"Wha-?" My brain giggled.

"I think you did." Sakura said standing, walking over and looking to my eyes. I felt my heart picking up and my face felt hot.

"You have had like twice the amount Naruto as had." Sasuke said, Sakura turned hearing him talking to her. "You seem fine."

"Yeah Sakura is a pain to get drunk." Carver said, sitting me back on the couch.

"I am not." Sakura defended.

"You can out drink Raiden and me." Carver looked at her,

"She cannot." Raiden perked up.

"Not this again." Carver shook his head.

"What?" I didn't understand what was going on. Carver sighed, plopping next to me on the couch.

"Just watch." He whispered, leaning on me I could smell his cologne. I blush and quickly shook my head.

"Sakura-!" Raiden yelled, causing Sakura to roll those pretty bright emerald eyes of hers. Raiden bounced onto the living room with a bottle of clear liquor of tequila. "I challenge you!" He jumped as he posed himself, pointing at her dramatically.

"No." Sakura said sitting back down beside Kakashi. I wanted to sit next to her...

"What?" Raiden whined. "Why not?" He cried.

"Because you'll die." Sakura said,

"I am not dealing with drunk you." Carver added,

"I am not going to die!" Raiden pouted, "And I will not be drunk, because I am going to win!"

"You do this every time we drink together, and you always lose." Carver said.

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do, you just get too drunk to remember it." Carver explained.

"You're not in this." Raiden brushed Carver off who rolled his eyes as his response. "Sakura if you accept then I will go on patrol with no argument."

"You already have to do patrol." Sakura said, sipping her blue cup. How did she look so cute doing something so simple?

"But I said without a fight." Raiden added, "And I will do whatever paperwork you don't want to do as long as I understand it and know how to do it." I saw that sparked Sakura's interest. I learned she hated doing paperwork.

"Alright." Sakura sighed agreeing.

"Yay!" Raiden cheered running into the kitchen, I looked back at Sakura and instantly hated how close Kakashi was to her. His arm was on the back of the couch behind Sakura, he was basically holding her!?

"Here." Raiden popped back up tossing Sakura a clear shot glass which she caught with ease. She sighed, moving to the floor and leaned against the couch as Raiden pushed up the coffee table. I saw salt and cut up limes on plates. The two sat across from each other. "Carver!" Raiden signaled for him to do something.

"Nope." He shook his head, "I'm not in this one." He said

"Please!" Raiden whined. Carver took in a chest full of air and sighed standing.

"I hate you." He said sitting on the floor, taking the bottle and poured two shots. "After a few shots Raiden won't be able to pour shit and if Sakura does it, he feels like she is cheating." Carver explained seeing my confused face.

"Oh." I nodded understanding.

"Sasuke, why don't you move on the couch?" Carver said, Sasuke was sitting on his phone behind Raiden. "Trust me, you don't want to be there." Carver laughed, Sasuke looked at Raiden and quickly jumped up. Kakashi moved over and Sasuke sat beside me. I felt my eyes narrowed as I felt annoyed. Kakashi was right behind Sakura, his legs on both sides of her and she looked completely unaffected! She was just watching Raiden try to trash talk. I hate to admit she looked cute when she was entertained.

"Do you guys do this a lot?" Sasuke wondered.

"Nah." Carver shrugged, "Not anymore."

"Anymore?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. My eyes were locked onto Sakura, she licked the area by her thump and shook the saltshaker over it, she grabbed a lime and waited for Raiden to copy her. I watched the two lick the salt on their hands, they both tapped the shot glasses on the table before shooting them, and then bit into the lime. Carver shrugged as Sakura laughed at him. They slide their shot glasses over to Carver who simply shook his head and poured another round. I watched Sakura and Raiden take three more shots as I sipped my blue cup of sweet punch. Sakura turned to me; my heart fluttered at her sight.

"You guys want to join?" She asked,

"What?" I asked taken off guard.

"Come on." She nodded with her head, "It'll be fun." I did not like tequila and my body moved anyway, sliding down until I was sitting next to Sakura.

"Ugh." Carver sighed standing. "Guess I'm a fucking bartender tonight." He muttered. "Sasuke come help me!" Carver ordered, Sasuke sighed but got up anyway. I felt happy to be sitting beside Sakura, it didn't take Carver and Sasuke long to return with another bottle of tequila, more salt and limes. Sasuke sat beside me as Carver began pouring.

"How about you Kakashi?" Sakura asked, looking behind her. I didn't like how she leaned on his leg as she spoke to him.

"Hm?" He asked looking up from his book, why was he even here if all he was going to do is read?

"Are you going to join us?" Sakura smirked, I looked from her and Kakashi realizing she was taunting him, and he would have to remove his mask in order to play the game!

"Come on Kakashi!" I smiled, "It's going to be fun!"

"Oh, hell no!" Carver said looking up from his task. "I am not babysitting all of you, I need at least one other sober adult here!"

"I guess that will be me." Kakashi said with his closed eye smile. I sighed; Carver ruined it. Sakura shrugged and turned back around as we all grabbed the shots. I copied Sakura I licked the salt on my hand, tipped my head back and allowed the shot to pour into my mouth. I wanted to swallow it quickly and bite the lime which Sakura was already doing but my throat said no, it closed itself not allowing the horrible tasting substance to enter my body. The tequila burned my throat as I forced it down, I coughed feeling the tequila coming back up with a vengeance as it flew up in my nose. My eyes watered as I began coughing.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked,

"Are you dying?" Carver laughed.

"Hey-" I heard Sakura, no! I didn't want her to see me like this, I could feel my level of coolness depleting as I coughed struggling to breathe. I felt a hand patting my back as it helped me regain control over my breathing. I opened my eyes and saw a blue cup, I quickly grabbed it and chugged it with my eyes closed. I sighed feeling better as I opened my eyes I froze. Sakura was right in front of me, her long pink hair flowed down touching my crossed legs. She had a smile playing on her lips, "You good?" She asked, she had been the one helping me. I quickly shook my head wishing I could melt through the flooring. Carver, Raiden and Sasuke were laughing at me, my face was hot as I refused to look Sakura's way.

"You sure you want to continue?" Carver asked me, I felt stupid. Maybe I should sit with Kakashi and just watch...

"Leave him alone." Sakura said, I quickly looked at her surprised.

"We are just teasing him." Raiden smiled; Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Oh ok." Sakura smirked, leaning against the couch. "Naruto you remember Brasle?"

"No!" Carver and Raiden said together, glaring at Sakura who just brushed them off.

"One night-" Sakura started against the two's objections. "-Carver was so plastered and there was this woman there that he had been trying to hook up with for a couple nights now. So, in his head Carver thought it would be a good idea to split an Oreo in half, stick them to his nipples and say and I quote 'I'll be your late-night snack', when I tried to help him and get them off he refused, called them his lucky cookie tits and he walked around for hours." I busted out laughing,

"No way!" I laughed,

"Yup." Sakura smiled looking at Carver who was glaring at her. "What?" She asked him, "I'm just teasing you." I looked at Sakura and realized I loved this woman.

"It wasn't that funny." Carver grumped.

"It kinda was." Raiden said.

"Oh, you thought that was funny?" Sakura asked,

"No!" Raiden jumped.

"OK." Sakura smiled, looking at me. "The same night Carver was walking around terrorizing women, I found Raiden in a stranger's kitchen with a case of stolen pineapples that he 'saved'. He was stabbing a pineapple screaming at SpongeBob to come out and play."

"You did not!" I laughed.

"Eh..." Raiden muttered, looking off into the distance as if he was reliving that moment.

"Fuck you-" Carver pointed at Sakura, "-that same party you vanished and woke up in a fucking drainpipe." I looked at Sakura, waiting for her to deny the statement.

"Yeah I did." Sakura smiled; my mouth dropped open. "But at least I had all my own clothes on." She smiled leaning on the coffee table, challenging them to continue.

"We need to stop drinking." Carver looked so defeated as I laughed with Sasuke.

"True." Sakura smirked leaning back against the couch.

"We are still going to do more shots though right?" Raiden asked,

"Of course." Carver said pouring more tequila.


	16. Chapter 16

"I have to pee!" Naruto cried, struggling to get to his feet. "Help me!" He cried to Sasuke,

"I am not helping you-"

"Please!" Naruto begged, "You did it before-"

"Excuse me?" Carver turned to their conversation. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"No." Sasuke said, quickly getting up and pulling Naruto with him towards the bathroom. Raiden was bouncing around the kitchen looking for food, he had lost his bet with Sakura and was intoxicated as Raiden fought with gravity. Carver sighed, hearing him drop another item so he got up to see what mess Raiden was making this time. Carver purposely made sure there were no pineapples in the apartment. Sakura watched Carver walk out of sight, she was feeling good. She leaned her head back against the couch enjoying the numbness alcohol brings. Sakura opened her eyes hearing a deep chuckle, her sight was invaded by a masked man. Kakashi leaned forward, he hovered over Sakura his eyes level with hers as she giggled seeing him. Kakashi grinned at the sweet sound.

"You're feeling happy?" Kakashi chuckled again watching Sakura nod her head. "Good." Kakashi closed his eye smiling down at her. Sakura reached up; her fingers grazed the side of his mask. Kakashi quickly grabbed her wrist lightly as the two stared at each other. Something inside Kakashi turned, allowing this woman whose head was in his lap to remove her hand from his grasp and return to the edge of his mask. Sakura was surprised by how soft the fabric was as she pulled it down exposing Kakashi's face. Kakashi watched Sakura's eyes scan over his exposed face, she reached back up and ran her fingers over the smooth skin of his perfectly sculpted face. Everyone wondered what was behind this mask and why Kakashi hide his face from the world, when she was younger Sakura wondered what he was hiding. She never thought once Kakashi would be this attractive. She watched his full lips turn upward into a smile; a smile made just for her.

"Hm?" She hummed as a response looking up into his eye.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his lifted his hand and brushed his hand across her cheek.

"Mhm." She hummed again, returning to surveying the handsome face in front of her. Kakashi chuckled, bending down and placing his lips on her forehead. He pulled away a few inches to study her, after searching her eyes he lowered again, placing a kiss on her lips for the third time.

"Let's go get tacos!" Raiden shouted, causing Kakashi to pull away from Sakura. She sat up, watching as Naruto and Raiden ran into the living room, Naruto scrambled to put his shoes on.

"Sakura come on!" Naruto bounced.

"What?" She asked, running her hands through her hair.

"Let's go get food!" Naruto bounced again on his heels waiting for everyone to get up.

"Why?" Sakura wondered, knowing there was food in the kitchen.

"Um...because tacos are tacos." Raiden explained as if that was logic Sakura could follow.

"It's one in the morning." Carver said, "I highly doubt anyone is open-"

"Yes, there is!" Naruto smiled brightly. "Like four places are open this late!"

"Yes!" Raiden jumped, getting pumped up.

"How are you guys hungry?" Sasuke asked, his face flushed from drinking and the thought of food turned his stomach. "You have been eating all night."

"It's only like one in the morning." Raiden waved off, "It's time for third dinner."

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed.

"Can't you find something here to eat?" Carver sighed.

"Do you see a drive through in the kitchen that I can't?" Raiden placed his hands on his hips. "Because if not then no, we cannot eat something here!"

"Ugh!" Carver groaned, to sober to deal with his teammate. Raiden turned to Naruto looking extremely determined,

"Are you ready?" Raiden questioned.

"Yes." Naruto nodded.

"Alright." Raiden nodded, "Let's go!" He yelled, bolting towards the door.

"Raiden!" Carver yelled, "You can't-"

"It's fine I have socks on!" Raiden yelled as he and Naruto ran down the hall.

"What the fuck does that mean!?" Carver asked himself, turning to Sakura who was still on the floor.

"I'm not moving." She said seeing Carver was looking at her for help. "Take him." She nodded at Sasuke.

"I don't really-" Sasuke muttered,

"That sucks." Sakura smiled, "Go anyway."

"But-"

"I saved your life." Sakura cut Sasuke off. "Go."

"Fine." Sasuke sighed getting up and tossing shoes on. "Are you coming?" He directed to Kakashi who remained on the couch. Kakashi pointed down at Sakura, signaling someone needed to stay with her since she had been drinking heavily. Carver sighed, knowing Kakashi was right.

"We will be back." Carver muttered as Sasuke unwillingly followed closing the apartment door behind them.

"I don't need a babysitter." Sakura muttered as she rose to her feet.

"Of course you don't." Kakashi agreed as she walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a clean plastic cup and poured another drink for herself. Sakura turned, slightly surprised to see Kakashi leaning against the kitchen wall staring at her. She found his mask he pulled up when Raiden demanded food to be annoying.

"You apparently think I do." Sakura said walking past him, Kakashi caught her by placing his arm out and wrapping it around her.

"I do not, I just didn't want to go chase drunk people around the village." Kakashi smiled, pulling Sakura inches from him. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway,

"Sure." She tilted her head looking up at Kakashi she reached up and pulled his mask back down, Kakashi didn't try to stop her. A smirk was resting on his exposed lips,

"It is true." He said, "I would rather be here with you than chasing your friends around, no offence."

"I wouldn't want to chase them around either." Sakura laughed, she swayed backwards. Kakashi reached his free arm wrapping it around her and pulled him into him. Sakura bit her lip, feeling the warmth through his chest fill her as she stood in between his legs.

"You my dear, are a little drunk." Kakashi chuckled, his laugh made Sakura smile as she closed her eyes listening to it. Kakashi took the cup from Sakura's hand so she wouldn't spill anything.

"Not as drunk and Raiden and Naruto." Sakura laughed at how quick they lost at their little game.

"And that surprises me." Kakashi agreed taking a drink from Sakura's cup, "You drank just as much as they did, maybe more." Sakura looked up, Kakashi was looking into her eyes and he brought his hand up brushing her long hair behind her ear. Sakura lifted herself onto her toes giving herself more height as she wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck and kissed him. Kakashi placed a hand on her hip and his left hand on the back of her neck leaning into her as he kissed back. Kakashi loved the way Sakura molded against his body, she felt like his perfect puzzle piece, he moved his hand in order to tilt her head so he could deepen their kiss.

Kakashi lifted Sakura, her legs wrapped around his waist as he began taking steps. Sakura didn't care the two of them were moving as long as this man didn't stop kissing her. Sakura and Kakashi were both fighting for dominance inside the kiss, Kakashi could taste the sweet punch on Sakura's tongue as he explored every inch of her mouth loving the taste. Kakashi removed his grasp from around Sakura, letting her fall onto the bed, he smiled hearing her laugh. Sakura looked up, feeling the soft bed under her as she watched Kakashi climb onto the bed hovering over her body. Her heart fluttered as he bent down kissing her again, he didn't ask permission this time his tongue darted into her mouth as his hands explored the curves of her body. Kakashi broke the kiss, feeling Sakura's hand on his chest. He remained straddling her as he lifted his shirt over his head. The moon light reflected off Kakashi's naked torso, outlining every muscle on his body. Seeing him like his Sakura realized Kakashi puts Adonis to shame.

Kakashi grabbed a fist full of her hair as he left her lips, placing kisses along her jawline until he reached her neck. Sakura closed her eyes, her hands running through Kakashi's gravity defying hair as he sucked and licked on areas around her neck. Kakashi took Sakura's hands in one of his with ease and placed them above her head. Sakura felt her body heat up with the feel of Kakashi on her, a pressure was building up between her legs as she begins to crave more of Kakashi's touch and less clothing. Sakura's eye snapped open, feeling Kakashi's large member on her thigh, it was ready to go. Sakura bit her lip as Kakashi moved up, placing his lips against hers again. Sakura smiled against the kiss, moving her leg to brush up against Kakashi's hardened member since there wasn't much she could do, he had her pinned. Kakashi gasped at the feeling, breaking the kiss for a moment and looked into her eyes.

"God, I want you...so bad..." Kakashi breathed, placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"Then-" Before Sakura could finish her sentence Kakashi removed himself from above her. She was confused for a moment, he got off the bed and placed his shirt back on. Sakura licked her swollen lips and sat up. What the fuck just happened? Kakashi chuckled at the annoyed expression on Sakura's face. Kakashi sat on the bed, cupping her face as he did so and kissed her again.

"I can't..." He breathed, looking into those bright emerald eyes that haunted his dreams.

"What?" Sakura was confused.

"What kind of man would I be if I took advantage of a drunk woman?" Kakashi smiled.

"I-I...you wouldn't be-"

"I know Darling." Kakashi pulled her into a hug. "But either way you were drinking, and I wouldn't feel right about this until your sober."

"Right." Sakura's tone was flat as she nodded her head, she moved to get off the bed but Kakashi stopped her. He pushed her back against the bed and pinned her arms above her head. Kakashi leaned down and whispered into her ear:

"You think I don't want to hear you screaming my name right now?" Sakura's face instantly heated up, as she struggled against Kakashi feeling embarrassed, but she was intoxicated and lost her strength. "I'll make this up to you." He chuckled, letting his grip on her loosen.

"How?" She wondered, tilting her head as Kakashi set her on her feet. She watched a smirk cross his face.

"I'll let you borrow on of my books, and you can figure it out yourself." He said, taking her hand in his and walked out of the bedroom. Sakura blushed, knowing what kind of books he read on his free time. Kakashi sat Sakura on the couch and turned the TV on.

"What are you doing?" She wondered.

"Well I have a feeling you're not going to be tired anytime soon-" Kakashi smirked, knowing he had turned her on, but left her unsatisfied. A fact he hated with a passion but, he couldn't sleep with Sakura while she was this drunk, it wasn't right...Sakura glared at the back of his head. "So, I am going to put on a show I know you'll love."

"Oh?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you think I like?" Kakashi turned to look at her.

"I am a very observant person." He said moving to the kitchen to make popcorn.

"What kind of answer is that?" Sakura asked herself, the TV series Kakashi put on then started. Zombies blasted onto the screen instantly catching Sakura's attention. She settled against the couch pulling a blanket over her legs.

"See?" Kakashi chuckled, seeing how she was already sucked into the show. Kakashi turned the lights off and moved to the couch to join Sakura. He sat beside her and gazed at her face as she munched on the buttery popcorn.

\----

"This was a shit show." Sasuke glared ahead of him, as he carried Naruto who was snoring on his shoulder.

"Never again." Carver agreed, carrying a passed-out Raiden. The two men reached the apartment building after two long hours of running after Naruto and Raiden. They never did make it to the fast food place Raiden talked about, instead the two drunk shinobis got distracted and ran all over the village until they passed out on a bench and was discovered by Sasuke and Carver.

"I'll see you in the morning." Sasuke sighed, opening his apartment door with Naruto still in hand.

"You got him?" Carver asked, opening his apartment he had been using with his team.

"Yeah." Sasuke sighed, "He can crash on my couch."

"Alright, I'll see you." Carver nodded and walked into the apartment closing the door. He was tired and feeling a little sore from recovery. Carver looked forward thinking about a hot shower when he stopped walking seeing a masked Kakashi laying on the couch with Sakura on top of him, both were asleep. Carver looked around for a moment feeling very confused.

"Not my problem." Carver said to himself, walking past the couch and into the bedroom. He laid Raiden on his side and quickly changed into fresh clothing. Carver sighed feeling too lazy for a shower, he was about to crawl into the bed but he stopped, looking at the door. Carver walked into the living room and looked at the couch. "Nope." He shook his head again. "Not my problem." He turned about to walk into the bedroom, but he stopped again feeling very annoyed, he looked over his shoulder. "No." He said walking into the dark room and quickly getting in bed trying to shut his brain up.

Morning hit hard.

Sakura woke up alone on the couch, she was laying on her side covered up. She slowly got off the couch and looked around seeing the apartment was empty. Last night quickly replayed in her head, Sakura pulled her hand to her mouth wondering what the fuck. She didn't give herself long to go over the events, she forced herself to jump into the shower, change and leave the apartment to get food. When hung over Sakura craved fried rice, she got a large container of it and got a large box of donuts. It was still early but it was chiller signaling fall was coming, it used to be her favorite time of year. Sakura made it back to the apartment she was a borrowing in ten minutes. If those two didn't wake up soon Sakura was going to have to wake them up, they had training with the leaf shinobi soon. It was another condition Tsunade had for them hiding out here while they recovered. To her luck, Carver and Raiden rolled out of bed within the same hour. Carver stole a donut and was watching Raiden try to remember how to function as a human.

"You were fucked up." Carver said to Raiden whose memory was spotty.

"Mm." He groaned, feeling the hangover he laid on the couch.

"When did you guys get back?" Sakura asked, not remembering them returning home. She lifted her water bottle to her lips.

"Yeah, maybe you were too busy fucking Kakashi to notice." Carver said, causing Sakura to choke on her water.

"Wait!" Raiden shot up, "What?" He yelled, "Ow..." He groaned, his head pounding.

"I didn't fuck him." Sakura corrected wiping the water off her chin.

"Could have fool me." Carver muttered.

"What!?" Raiden yelled out, waiting for more detail.

"I didn't." Sakura stated.

"Hm." Carver nodded, "I mean when I got back with Raiden you two seemed to be..." Carver trailed off looking Sakura up and down. "The bed was messed up when I got back, and you have two hickeys on your neck." Sakura reached up touching the soft skin on her neck, she hadn't noticed when she was getting dressed.

"You placed me in the same bed Sakura fucked in!?" Raiden yelled feeling grossed out.

"You're lucky I didn't leave your ass outside with Naruto! You two cannot handle your mud."

"I can too!"

"Oh! That's why you two were yelling for ten fucking minutes at your own reflections in a window!"

"Er..." Raiden said laying back on the couch knowing he would lose the fight.

"As fun as this is, you two are late." Sakura said eating her fried rice.

"Late?" Carver asked, "What?"

"For your training session with the leaf shinobi?" Sakura recalled for them.

"Fuck me!" Carver groaned, not in the mood to train.

"There ya go." Sakura joked.

"I feel like you should do it." Raiden yawned,

"What?" Sakura laughed at the idea.

"Yeah." Carver agreed. "I mean you're the only one who had fun last night so-"

"I did not fuck him." Sakura restated.

"Mm...if it looks like a duck...quacks like a duck...its two ducks fucking." Carver said, Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I mean hey-!" Raiden spoke up, "-good for you Sakura. I think you needed to get laid-"

"I do not-I don't have time for this." Sakura sighed,

"Where do you have to go?" Raiden asked.

"Are you meeting Kakashi again?" Carver asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Fuck you." Sakura glared.

"Ooo...was he that good you're going back for seconds?" Raiden called as Sakura grabbed her phone.

"Does he have a big dick?!" Carver called as Sakura left the apartment.

"He has too." Raiden answered, "I have never seen Sakura with a dude let alone the same guy twice."

"That is true." Carver nodded, "Come on, we better get going."

"No!" Raiden cried.

"The shinobi are already at the arena, let's go."

"I'm gonna die!"

"Yeah, shouldn't have challenged Sakura last night."

"But I was so close!" Raiden said, getting up.

"No, you were not." Carver shook his head.

Sakura sat in a chair staring blankly at the large screen in front of her. Dawn and Diem her second and third commanders were talking, explaining what has been going on while she was out of the village. They talked about Sakura lowering the shields on the village, but Sakura wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do yet. The number of Reaper sighting has gone down but she didn't want to risk anyone, when she couldn't rush over and defend a village if needed be. Sakura wasn't interested in the conversation in the slightest, she kept thinking about last night.

"Sakura?" Dawn called; Sakura looked up at the screen.

"Hm?" She hummed.

"Are you ok?" Diem wondered, seeing Sakura was acting different.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed,

"You don't look fine." Dawn added to Diem's comment. "Your distracted which isn't like you."

"I am just...tired." Sakura shrugged.

"How are you feeling? Are you recovering-"

"Slowly." Sakura interrupted, "It's a fucking pain in the ass."

"True, but you do what you have too." Diem said, "You gotta take it easy."

"Yes." Dawn nodded, "You know what-" Dawn shook her head closing the folder in front of her. "-everything here we can take care of. You should go rest up."

"Dawn, no I can-"

"I will not change my mind." Dawn smiled, "Go-" She waved her hand. "-Go get some rest and eat, you look a little pale."

"We will text you-" Diem butted in, "-if we need you for anything."

"Alright." Sakura shrugged, not in the mood to argue. The call ended leaving Sakura alone in the room as she replayed last night over and over in her head. She rose to her feet, feeling annoyed that even now when she was sober, she was still annoyed Kakashi stopped last night. She sighed...he wasn't even in the damn apartment when she woke up. Maybe he was regretting what he did. Sakura stopped walking realizing she had seen his face. What did that mean? Did that mean anything? Should it?

Sakura made her way to the arena, her meeting ended very early she now had the day free. Sakura did swing by the bathroom and look at her reflection remembering Carver this morning and his comment. Sure enough, there were two marks resting on her pale skin. One on the right side of her neck and the second low enough to be half covered by her shirt.

"Fuck me." She sighed, already hearing the stupid ass comments. Sakura pulled her hair down and retied it into a lower ponytail and allowed her hair to flow down her right shoulder. This wasn't the best solution, but it was the best she got. She couldn't heal herself with chakra right now.

Sakura left the bathroom and started her way to the arena. Raiden was so hung over he could barely function this morning, so Carver was going to need the help. It was a peaceful walk; Sakura didn't go jumping into sight. Instead she found where Tsunade was and walked to the Hokage box.

"Sakura?" Tsunade asked seeing the pink hair.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings all day."

"They ended early." Sakura shrugged. Tsunade took in Sakura's appearance, she wore tight black pants and a dark gray long sleeve with her hair pulled back. It was so simple, but she pulled it off so well. "How is it going?" Sakura wondered, seeing Raiden was sitting on the ground watching Carver train. Sakura had been right about Raiden being dead.

"It's going well, Raiden doesn't look so good though."

"He is just hung over." Sakura said,

"Oh..." Tsunade laughed. "That make sense."

"Yeah."

"What about you?" Tsunade wondered,

"I can handle my shit, Raiden can't."

"I see..."

"Mhm." Sakura nodded, looking around at the group of people. Sakura's heart stopped seeing the silver hair. Kakashi was standing beside Guy who was jumping all around him.

"You think I don't want to hear you screaming my name right now?"

Kakashi's voice echoed around Sakura's head, she cleared her throat trying to push it away. That was an actual thing that happened...it was just now hitting Sakura.

"Why don't you go down there and help Carver?" Tsunade asked, Sakura looked back at her and then to Kakashi. She did not want to be in his sights right now, she didn't know how to feel about him at the moment.

"Um..." Sakura trailed off trying to think of a reason, but she was hung over too and her fucking head hurt!

"I might have hyped up your training with the leaf shinobi, so everyone was kind of looking forward to this..." Tsunade chuckled, causing Sakura to glare at her. How the fuck can she say no now!?

"Awesome." Sakura said, nodding her head and taking in a deep breath before she jumped from the Hokage box. Her heart was beating so annoyingly fast once she landed beside Raiden who jumped surprised.

"What the fuck!?" He yelled, holding his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Sakura looked down at Raiden as she felt Kakashi's gaze on her back.

"Your dramatic." Sakura stated to her teammate on the ground.

"What are you doing here Haruno?" Carver called out, a few feet away. "I thought you had meetings or something?"

"They ended early, lucky me." Sakura looked around at the leaf shinobi who had locked their gaze onto her.

"Wait!" Raiden jumped up, "Does this mean you'll take my place and I can go home and hug to toilet!?" Sakura looked at Raiden...he called the apartment home...that was different...

"Yeah." Sakura nodded; Raiden smiled.

"Can I go too!?" Carver called.

"No." Sakura answered watching Raiden run away from the arena. Sakura sighed, turning to Carver doing her best to not look past him and see Kakashi who leaned against the wall of the arena, his hands in his pockets with his sights lock into Sakura.

"I feel unfavored." Carver said as Sakura reached his side.

"I don't give a fuck." Sakura said, "Where are you at with them."

"Fucking nowhere they suck." Carver laughed.

"Hey!" Voices defended themselves. Carver nodded his head at the handful of shinobi behind him, where Kakashi was located.

"Those can keep up and won't die in a fight-" Carver then pointed to many shinobi in front of them most of whom were once Sakura's peers. "-this group is bait." Carver explained.

"I see." Sakura sighed; she did not want to be here. If she knew Kakashi was here she would have gone back to bed.

"I call bullshit on this whole training thing!" TenTen walked forward from the crowd. "I am tired of listening to you Waterfall people talk trash and-"

"Then prove me wrong." Sakura said,

"Wh-What?"

"Prove me wrong." Sakura repeated.

"How...?" TenTen questioned slowly.

"Attack me." Sakura said,

"Uh..." Carver said, not sure if this was a good idea or not.

"Attack you?" TenTen laughed. "I-I can't"

"I am still fairly injured-" Sakura said, walking a backwards from Carver getting space. "-Shouldn't be too hard to take me down."

"I-I don't-" TenTen didn't know what to do, but Shikamaru did. He stepped up with no problem.

"If I can beat you, can I stop coming to these stupid training sessions?" He called to Sakura.

"Yeah." Sakura nodded, "Anyone who can take me down, doesn't need to be here."

"Sakura-" Naruto said, stepping forward. His head pounded and his stomach rolled in his body, but he didn't feel right about Sakura fighting anyone if she didn't have too. This was insanity.

"Yeah I don't think-" Carver said-unable to finish when three leaf shinobi leaped forward trying to strike Sakura.

"What are you doing!?" Naruto yelled at his friends. Shikamaru tried to strike using shadows but failed, Choji joined his comrade as did Ino.

"Have you lost your minds!?" Kiba agreed with Naruto. Kakashi removed his hands from his pockets, he didn't like this. Choji was the first to really go after Sakura hand to hand, she reflected every attack. Choji's family was known for their strength, he couldn't lose here today. Kakashi shook his head, itching to interfere with this fight. Granted Choji couldn't lay a finger on her, Sakura was recovering from a war...she should be laying on the couch, watching her new favorite zombie show while Kakashi rubs her back.

"This is just sad." Sakura said, flipping around kicking Choji in the chest. He flew backwards into the arena's wall. Naruto's mouth dropped open seeing the damage done to the crumbling wall as Choji fell to the ground defeated. Ino replaced Choji has she stood in front of Sakura who tilted her head, waiting for Ino to make the first move. Ino tried to use her mind body switch technique, Sakura laughed shaking her head as she moved towards Ino who was still trying to force her way into Sakura's head. "Trust me sweetheart-" Sakura said, "-you don't want to be there."

"I wouldn't waste my time there!" Carver called, "She doesn't like to train."

"What?" Sakura asked turning to Carver.

"Yeah, she says she doesn't-" Ino took his conversation as a distraction and sprinted forward, kunai ready. Kakashi flinched, ready to counter the attack but Sakura didn't need him too. She sides stepped Ino with ease. Ino was taken back, how could Sakura possibly dodge that?!

"I see." Sakura said, turning to Ino. "You don't like to train."

"I don't need-"

"This is why I can't stand you." Sakura said.

"What-What?" Ino stuttered, backing away as Sakura moved towards her.

"Any good shinobi would be open to new techniques. To new ways to better themselves and make them stronger in order to protect the people who count on them. You think you're so perfect the way you are, but I am going to show you are far from it." Sakura said, her eyes shifted from the blaring green eyes that the leaf shinobi had grown use too. In replacement of them, a glowing Christmas wreath of lights hung in their place. Each light was like a crystal diamond sitting in her eyes as they reflected every color of the rainbow when her eyes moved.

"What the-" Shikamaru said, Naruto's mouth dropped open turning to Sasuke who looked just as shocked.

"What are-" Ino breathed as she was sucked into Sakura's eyes. Sakura had the gift from Kaguya morphed into something different, something the world has yet to see. Sakura gained the three great dojutsu and was able to switch back and forth between them. But in the past months she had been gone from the leaf village before the battle in the iron village, her eyes morphed into this beautiful glowing Christmas wreath of colors. She no longer had to choose between the Byakugan, Rinnegan, and Sharingan for her new eyes held all the traits as well as other abilities.

Kakashi stared into Sakura's eyes shocked to say the least, he had no idea she could do that. Everyone watched as Ino dropped to her knees, her eyes wide like the sun and her face twisted in terror.

"Ino?" Hinata asked stepping closer to her, Sakura broke the trance watching Ino gasp for air.

"What-What are you?" Ino breathed, looking at Sakura as did everyone else.

"You can go home." Sakura nodded at Ino.

"What?" Ino breathed.

"You're not suited for the rage of war, your through with my training sessions, it would be pointless to waste time on you when we could focus on someone else who can be useful. You can go." Sakura explained.

"I...how...." Ino trailed off, her head still spinning.

"Little dramatic." Carver coughed.

"It's the truth though." Sakura said,

"Well-!" Carver called to the shinobi all around them who were all still spun on Sakura's eyes. "Anyone else want to try and get out of training!?" Carver asked looking around. Shikamaru backed off, knowing better than to go up against something he couldn't understand. "Oh?" Carver sounded surprised, Sakura looked at him and then turned her heart skipped a beat seeing Kakashi walking towards them.

"Kakashi!?" Naruto yelled; everyone was losing their minds!

"You?" Carver wanted to clarify the reason Kakashi was walking towards them. Why would he step up to fight Sakura knowing she was recovering?

"I'll give it a go." Kakashi closed his exposed eye and smiled, Sakura surveyed him. What was he doing? If anything, she thought Kakashi would lecture her being here and not resting. "I can't stand by and let you bash on my village, now can I?"

"Ok." Sakura shrugged.

"Alright..." Carver sighed, not understanding Kakashi but backed away giving the two space. Kakashi smiled under his mask, Sakura watched with sharp eyes as Kakashi reached up and revealed his red eye which contained his mangekyou sharingan.

"That's cute." Sakura smiled, her eyes flicking back to her glowing Christmas wreaths. "That won't work on me." Kakashi shrugged,

"Won't know unless I try." Kakashi smiled, Sakura didn't like this. She didn't want to be near him right now let alone sparing with him. "I'll be gentle." Kakashi winked at Sakura, her heart fluttered but she shook it off and smirked.

"I won't be."

The two moved at the same time, striking at each other with kunai. Carver shook his head, those two made no sense together. Carver crossed his arms over his chest, Kakashi was very good. But if he got his ass kicked by Sakura today that would turn Sakura off him and Carver generally liked Kakashi he was a good man, Sakura needed that in her life.

Naruto ran over to Carver as the copy ninja and the reaper fought each other. Naruto groaned, holding his stomach and waddled over to Carver, who was laughing at Naruto.

"This is not funny!" Naruto whined.

"It kinda is man." Carver said.

"Why did Raiden get to leave, and I didn't?" Naruto cried to himself for a moment.

"I don't know, I am just here for the ride." Carver shrugged.

"You have to stop this!" Naruto said looking at Carver.

"I couldn't even if I wanted too." Carver shrugged, "Sakura's fine."

"But-"

"Naruto, I truly believe Kakashi wouldn't hurt Sakura."

"But they are-"

"I don't understand Kakashi's decision to fight her knowing her injuries but-" Carver sighed, looking back at the two who appeared to be equally matched in hand to hand combat.

"But?" Naruto asked, leaning forward as he fought the urge to vomit. Carver glanced at Naruto; it wasn't Carver's place to say what he saw when he got home. He wanted to give no reason for Sakura to run from any emotions she may be forming for this masked man.

"I swear if you throw up on me, I will skin you alive!" Carver changed the subject.

"I am not trying too!" Naruto sat down on the ground.

Kakashi slid around Sakura, sliding his hand on her stomach as he did so she hated the fact that it felt so good when he touched her. Sakura quickly spun slicing the air where she stood. Kakashi smiled stepping back in time but he froze, Sakura's hair fell behind her back and he could fully see the marks on her neck. Sakura glared seeing what he was looking at, she darted forward but Kakashi blocked her strike. He leaned forward with her fist in his,

"Those look good on you." He whispered in her ear, he liked seeing his mark on her.

"I am going to kill you." Sakura decided with a nod. Kakashi chuckled backing away knowing he had pissed Sakura off. Carver yawned, feeling bored and a little hungry. His phone buzzed, pulling his attention off Sakura and onto his phone.

"Well fuck me." Carver sighed.

"Huh?!" Naruto jumped, quickly crawling away.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Carver called seeing Naruto was scooting away, Carver turned to Sakura who seemed to be enjoying her match with Kakashi. There weren't many people who could keep up with her, Carver and Raiden being included in that group. This had to be a nice change of pace for her.

"Alright!" Carver called, jumping into the fight. Sakura saw Carver and quickly stopped her kunai from flying into the side of his head. Kakashi did the same, screeching to a halt. Carver opened his eyes and looked at the two, Kakashi had stopped right beside Sakura, his hand on her lower back as he looked at Carver. "Here." Carver said handing Sakura his phone. As Sakura read the text messages Carver looked back and forth between the two. They were both panting from the fight but looked like they had got in a good workout...was last night not enough for them!?

"Damn." Sakura breathed, handing the phone back to Carver as she licked her lips thinking for a moment.

"Everything ok?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the eyes of the crowd.

"Yeah." Sakura nodded, she then turned to Carver. "I will be taking the seals down today after all."

"Wait why?!" Carver looked up having no clue what she was talking about.

"I don't think there is a need for them." Sakura answered, she glanced at Kakashi. "Looks like I have to take a rain check on kicking your ass." Kakashi chuckled.

"Until next time." He nodded, Sakura turned and walked away. Kakashi was disappointed, he didn't mind ending the fight between them, but he didn't want Sakura to leave his side.

Team seven stood around with many the leaf shinobi watching the large blue dome fade from sight. People cheered and clapped, in their eyes the threat was over, and life could return to normal. Sakura, Carver and Raiden stood in the roof of the gates which protected the leaf village. 

"Are you sure about this?" Carver asked Sakura, who shrugged.

"Can't have these domes over the villages forever." She said.

"Yeah but..." Raiden rubbing his face not feeling well.

"It'll be fine." Sakura reinsured them.

"What did Dawn mean when she texted you?" Raiden wondered,

"I have to go." Sakura said,

"I don't think that is a good-" Carver started.

"And you two need to stay here." Sakura added.

"No!" Carver and Raiden shouted.

"We don't have a choice." Sakura sighed,

"Fuck that, you're still hurt. You shouldn't be running off and-"

"I have to go."

"Where!?" Carver demanded.

"And why?" Raiden added in.

"When I took overpowering the shields everyone was trapped inside their villages." Sakura said,

"Yeah but you saved who knows how many life's-"

"That may not be the case for Crete." Sakura responded.

"Crete?" Raiden knew that word but couldn't pinpoint why.

"Crete, the small town a few hours from here." Sakura reminded them. "They have been having issues with some rogue shinobi terrorizing their village. I don't know much, but from what Dawn said they were trapped with that shinobi because of my dome. They have been sending out an S.O.S to every village around but no one could respond to help."

"That doesn't mean you have to go." Carver said. "I can, or someone from this village-"

"I will be fine." Sakura said, Carver felt wind start to swirl around them.

"Sakura, don't do this." Carver almost begged. "I get you don't want to bring us and leave this village exposed but at least take Kakashi, Naruto or anyone with you-"

"I will be back." Sakura smiled as wind wrapped around her body.

"Sakura!" Carver yelled as she vanished. "Son of a bitch!" He cursed.

"You would think we would be used to her doing shit like this." Raiden muttered as they turned to go home to their apartment they had been using. Raiden listening to Carver complaining the entire walk, as they entered the front door, they stopped moving seeing they already had company. Team seven was standing around, dressed in their gear with bags on their backs.

"Why the fuck does everyone else get to leave and we don't!?" Raiden gripped as he kicked off his shoes.

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head. Kakashi looked up from his book, searching for that shade of pink he had grown so fond of.

"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke asked,

"She left." Carver answered, still pissed off.

"What!?" Naruto shouted, feeling alarmed. "But she-"

"She warned you all she may pop out of the village every now and then." Raiden said walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah but-" Naruto looked from Carver and then to Raiden. "-this soon?"

"We didn't like it either." Carver sighed sitting on the couch, "But this was something she felt she had to do, and she couldn't take us with her."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Having all three of us gone would leave your village wide open for attacks." Raiden answered.

"When will she be back?" Naruto asked, Carver shrugged.

"We don't know." Carver said.

"How-How don't you know!?" Naruto yelled,

"Sakura doesn't tell us much." Raiden giggled, walking into the living room with a bag of chips. "If you hadn't noticed yet, we don't get much say in what we do or where we go."

"And your fine with that?" Sasuke asked.

"Yup!" Raiden smiled. "Speaking of people leaving, where are you three off too?"

"I don't know." Naruto muttered; disappointed Sakura was gone. "Some mission...we wanted to swing by before leaving and see you guys..."

"Yeah..." Carver said not buying it. The person all three of them wanted to see was not here. "You sound so sincere."

"We better get going." Sasuke looked around the apartment, feeling like Sakura would walk out of the bedroom any second with those burning eyes that made Sasuke so fixated on Sakura, he was forming an obsession with those emerald eyes.

"Yes." Kakashi agreed, "We will see you two when we get back."

"Thanks." Carver sighed with a goodbye wave.

"Good luck!" Raiden smiled as team seven left the apartment feeling disappointed.


	17. Chapter 17

Our mission was to reach a neighboring town and help them. Tsunade looked very concerned at the wellbeing of Crete. Tsunade knew the town's leader, I guessed they were friends since they were kids. Tsunade didn't give many details, all she said was they have been trapped with a killer due to Sakura's domes. Crete has been trying to get help for a few weeks. Tsunade made it clear we were to leave immediately to reach Crete by nightfall, but I had to stop by Sakura's apartment, I wanted to see her one more time before leaving but to my dismay she was gone. I sighed, running beside Sasuke with no conversation. Kakashi and Sasuke were focused on reaching Crete as soon as possible but I couldn't help but wonder where Sakura went, and how long it will be until I see her again. I was worried about her she played it off, but she was still hurt.

Crete was a small town but had a lot of farmland. Kakashi explained that most of the food from the leaf village comes from these farms. I followed Kakashi as I looked around Crete, nothing popped out at me. There was no attractions to be bring people here so why was there an assign running these streets?

"So, what's our first move?" I asked placing my hands on my hips.

"We wait." Kakashi answered.

"Wa-Wait!?" I groaned. "Why on earth would we do that!?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest.

"Because it could take days for this rogue guy to come out!" I didn't want to be here for days, I wanted to return home as fast as I could...I wanted to be there when Sakura returned... "We should ask around, maybe someone knows where this person has been staying."

"That could scare him into leaving." Sasuke shook his head. "We don't want him to jump to a different village."

"Ugh!" I groaned; it was the late evening and the sun was beginning to set. My stomach growled; I placed my hands on it. "Can we at least get something to eat?" My mouth watered smelling food as I followed Sasuke and Kakashi.

"No." Kakashi said, "The killer comes out at night, we need to be ready for him."

"I can't be ready for him if I am starving to death!" I whined.

"I told you to eat before we left."

"We left in such a hurry!" I defended.

"We should split up, cover more ground." Sasuke spoke up, ignoring my hungry stomach. "That way when he shows up there is a better chance one of us can spot him."

"Good idea Sasuke." Kakashi praised, I rolled my eyes turning from my team and walked to a nearby man who was standing on the sidewalk.

"Hey!" I waved, I heard Sasuke behind me cursing my name, but I ignored him.

"Huh?" The old man turned to me, he looked like he was a farmer. "Oh, you're a shinobi?" He asked, I shook my head proud.

"Yes sir! We are from the Leaf Village here to help you!"

"Well it's about time." His tone was flat when Kakashi and Sasuke stepped beside me.

"Our village was under the same dome yours was." Sasuke said, "We couldn't leave-"

"Anyway, I think you three may be too late."

"Too late for what?" Kakashi questioned, damnit! If this rogue ninja skipped town, we had no choice but to go after that guy! I was never going to make it back home to see Sakura now!

"That masked shinobi, the one who has been terrorizing our town. He was attacking this morning, burning down a field of corn outside the village. Normally he tries to go after all the crops but for some reason he vanished."

"Vanished?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, there were a bunch of us guarding the bean fields. We waited for hours for him to show up but he never did-" The man explained, "Hey-!" He called, looking over his shoulder at a young boy around my age who was wearing similar clothing to him walked by.

"Hm?" The boy asked walking over to us. "What's up?"

"Didn't that rogue go missing this morning?" The old man asked,

"Oh yeah-" The younger boy blushed as he smiled.

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

"-That rogue went missing not long after that woman showed up." The boy said,

"What woman?" Sasuke sounded like he was getting annoyed.

"Don't know, she wasn't much of a talker. She asked around a bit like you three are about the rogue, I heard from people who were running from the fields that the two were fighting in the corn but when I got there both were gone as well as the fire."

"Did another village beat us here?" Sasuke whispered to me, I shrugged having no clue.

"What did this woman look like?" Kakashi questioned.

"She was hot!" The boy gushed; I rolled my eyes. "She had this perfect body, eyes that cut like a weapon and this nice long pink hair-"

"Wait!" I cut him off, my heart skipping a beat. "Pink hair?"

"Yeah." The boy and old man both nodded.

"Strange color-" The old man said, "-kids these days." He shook his head

"Did she have a name?" I asked quickly ignoring him.

"No-" The boy scrunched his face. "-She wouldn't really talk I tried talking to her, but she brushed me off!"

"Thank you for your time." Kakashi said, once the two men were out of ear shot, I turned to Kakashi my heart pounding in my chest.

"That has to be Sakura!" I whispered.

"Why would she be here?" Sasuke muttered.

"The rogue!" I answered, feeling excited. I really wanted Sakura to be here!

"I don't think this is something she would concern herself with." Sasuke said trying to rain down on my parade.

"I don't know many women with long pink hair." I scoffed at him.

"We need to confirm that the rogue is dead." Sasuke said with a sigh.

"So, we need to find that woman they were talking about." I smiled, it was Sakura, I was so sure of it.

"I suppose..." Sasuke sighed, "...what do you think Kakashi?" Sasuke asked. I looked up at him, he wasn't looking at us. Kakashi was staring off in a different direction and I am pretty sure he wasn't listening to me.

"Hm?" He asked turning around. Sasuke glared as I laughed.

"What do you think about all this?"

"I think your right, we can't leave until we determine the rogue is no longer a problem." Kakashi smiled as he closed his eye.

"So, we split up." I said with a nod.

"I guess." Sasuke looked around, it was getting darker.

"Alright-" Looking around my surroundings, a bookstore was behind me. "I will meet you guys back here in one hour!"

"Alright." Sasuke and Kakashi nodded, with that we went our separate ways. Twenty minutes passed quickly as I went person to person questioning them on the woman who blew into their town with the long pink hair. But every person had no new information to give me and no one knew where she had gone. Was it possible Sakura came here, took the rogue down and was back inside the leaf village? My stomach grumbled; still hungry I gripped my belly. Maybe I could grab something quick and easy while I look around? I was about to turn towards a building which I could smell had food when a strong hand gripped my shoulder. My body froze as it was pulled back, Kakashi knew I was going to eat and not do my job! I was going to be in so much trouble! I quickly spun around about to string together a lie but when I turned, I didn't see my sensei I saw a woman with long brown hair, bright hazel eyes and a tanned stone face she was pretty, but she was glaring at me.

"Huh?" I tilted my head; I didn't know this girl. I did notice she pulled us between two buildings out of sight of others. "Who are the hell are you?!" I became alert, who was this lady!? Why did she pull me aside?!

"Calm down Naruto." The girl said, I froze hearing her voice. I didn't care this stranger somehow knew my name, I looked at the girl feeling so much more confused as her voice matched Sakura's. The girl closed her eyes, I jumped back seeing pieces of her begin to flake off like freaking black pieces of snow! The pieces floated in the air and then dissolved; my mouth dropped open this girl's skin was fading from a sun skinned tan, her brown strands of her air return pink.

"What?" I gasped, she opened her eyes and there were two green orbs burning into me. "S-Sakura?!"

"Naruto." Sakura nodded her head,

"What the hell!?" I yelled, causing her to smile making my heart skip.

"What?" She laughed, "I showed up and within an hour everyone noticed me."

"You hid your appearance" I nodded understanding, but I didn't sense a damn thing, how skilled was she?

"You left!" I snapped my head out of my thoughts.

"And?" She asked.

"What do you mean and?!" I shouted, not caring if people could hear me. "Your hurt you shouldn't be out of the leaf village yet!"

"I am fine Naru-"

"I don't care Sakura!" I cut her off, anger bubbled into my stomach. If she wasn't going to take care of herself than I will! "You can say your fine all day long, but I know you need more time to recover. If you would have just told me about Crete, then I would have helped you and-"

"I don't need your help." Sakura snapped; she was so cold towards me, how could she shut off her emotions like this? I didn't understand her, I couldn't read her face or body language. She reminded me of Kakashi and Sasuke, how they can hide what they were feeling so well, I could never do that.

"I know you don't I just-"

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked.

"Tsunade sent us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, Sasuke and Kakashi are here with me."

"That woman-" Sakura shook her head, "-she always jumped the gun."

"Is this why you had to leave?" I asked, "Do come here?" Sakura shot me an annoyed look.

"No shit." She said, "Clearly I'm here." We had such a fun night drinking...I didn't understand her behavior, was she pushing me away from her? Why would she purposely push me away?

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"For the hundredth time, I am fucking fine."

"I wasn't talking about your health..." I said slowly, as if I was treading lightly so I wouldn't spook her into leaving.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sakura you're acting very..."

"Acting like what?" Sakura snapped.

"Cold." I refused to look into her eyes, if I did then I would be swept away in them.

"I don't have time for this." Sakura shook her head, turning as I felt wind twisting past me. My heart dropped, Sakura was about to leave again and I didn't know where she was going to go! Did I piss her off? Would she not go home because of my stupid mouth!?

"Sakura-!" I called her name, trying to stop her from leaving but she paid me no attention. I could see the wind playing through the strands of her pink hair. "I'm in love with you." The words just poured out of my mouth before I could stop them. Sakura and I stared at each other for a still moment.

"No." She said, turning to walk away. I almost fell to the ground from her casualness. I quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Sakura-!" I called, she stopped moving and allowed me to pull her back between the two buildings hiding us from the world. "-I have loved you since we were kids-"'

"Your lying." Sakura cut me off,

"Er-Well no." I lightly laughed, "I really have loved-"

"If what you say if true then why did you do it?" She asked me.

"Do...what?"

"Abandon me when I needed you most?" I knew Sakura was talking about five years ago, on the last night I seen her before Tsunade declared her missing and then finally dead.

"I didn't..." I cut myself off, there were so many emotions tangling in my chest all trying to get out at once and I wanted to express them all to Sakura. "...I didn't mean to leave you behind. I was just a kid-"

"So was I." Sakura's voice was so sharp.

"I know..." I whispered, "I am so sorry, I realize now that there were so many things I should have done differently. If I could go back and change things I would in a heartbeat." Her face was still but her eyes blared into my being, there as something swirling behind those green orbs, I just couldn't tell what it was. But I knew now I didn't know this person in front of me, she was not the child I grew up with. This woman before me stood as the commander of one of the strongest armies in the world, but was there anything left underneath all that armor?

A piece of me felt like she was pushing me away in order to protect herself, which is why she is kind one moment but then cold and distant the next. If Sakura's army sees that she is injured they will strike to kill her in order to claim her title, she is the leader of those type of people...what kind of person does that make Sakura? Her smile flashed into my mind, me sitting beside her as we all took shots replayed through my mind...there had to be more than just a broken shell of a commander standing before me.

"It was four days-" I spoke, "-Four days and I realized I couldn't find you. Normally after your shift at the hospital you always came and found me, and for a while I thought you were just busy or were too tired to come see me...but after four days I realized I couldn't find you anywhere inside the village. I went to Kakashi and we searched for you, then we went to Tsunade who then told us you went out on a mission but never returned. My heart broke when I found your headband-" Tears pricked my eyes. "-in the forest, covered in your blood and scratched up. I mourned your death, and I never forgave myself for taking you for granted and I will never stop kicking myself for what I did. The day you returned was the happiest day of my life, you have no idea...I know you're not the same person, I'm not either and I may not know a lot about you, but I know you Sakura-" I smiled, "-your kind and compassionate, I see this when your interacting with Carver and Raiden. You placed yourself in front of a blade to save my life, you can claim it was your job all you want but I know you did because somewhere inside you, you still care about me and you still love the Leaf Village."

"Naruto-" Sakura tried to step in.

"No." I shook my head, "I understand your behavior towards us, we burnt you in ways I may never understand. Your fighting yourself on allowing to get close to us again because you don't want to let your guard down and then have the rug pulled out from under you, and I completely understand that I will always be sorry for that and I will try and make up for the years we lost for as long as I live because I am still in love with you."

"No, you're not." Sakura sounded so sure of her words, it annoyed me.

"You-You can't tell me how I feel!"

"I see the way you look at me, you still see me as a friend and there may be a little fascination in there too but you're not in love with me." Sakura said,

"Yes, I am!" I shouted, feeling annoyed. "I have been in love with you for years-" Sakura was so fast, she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into her. My eyes were wide open as I looked at Sakura's face as she kissed me. My heart was beating fast, but it wasn't fluttering like I thought it would, there were no sparks like I read in books...Sakura released my shirt and took a step back. We stared at each other,

"It's like kissing your sister isn't it?" She was mocking me!

"I-I..." I didn't know what to feel, Sakura was beautiful and strong, so fearless and I felt love for her but...

"You wouldn't want to take me around the corner and fuck me, would you?"

"Um-Um-!" I blushed, quickly heating up feeling embarrassed by her choice of words but deep down I knew she was right. I didn't want to sleep with her I just wanted her around me because...because when I had no one she was one of the first people I made my family. "No..." I sighed,

"It's my job to read people Naruto." Sakura said, "And I am very good at my job."

"But-"

"You look at me as a friend, I would even go as far and say family." Sakura explained, she was right...I felt like my whole world was being turned upside down. I felt confused and didn't know how to feel but I knew one thing, I knew I wanted Sakura to come home with me.

"Your right." I said, "I love you as a sister-"

"I wouldn't go that far-" Sakura muttered but I ignored her.

"-everything I said I still stand by." I finished my sentence. I fully believed when Sakura was banished, she drifted to survive, and she ended up inside the Waterfall Village. She did what she had to do and now she was the commander and so strong, but she didn't belong there. Sakura was fighting herself to keep us out and that only meant I had to fight twice as hard to protect Sakura from herself.

"I know." Sakura smirked at me, I smiled seeing the lighter side of her. I walked over and pulled her into a hug. As I stared at her, I wondered all the things she had to do to be who she was now...what hardships she had to endure alone and how many scars did she have?

"I am so sorry." I breathed feeling tears fill my eyes, "I didn't know..." I hated Tsunade for what she did. I felt Sakura wrap her arms around me as she sighed out.

"It's ok." She was so stable; I use to be her rock but now roles had reversed.

"So-" I smiled, pulling away as I wiped my eyes. "Have you found the rogue?"

"I did." Sakura nodded,

"So that was you those guys were talking about."

"What guys?"

"Just some random farmers." I laughed rubbing the back of my neck, "We were asking about the rogue when a woman described as you popped up."

"My hair?" Sakura guessed.

"Yeah...so do you know where he is-"

"He?" Sakura tilted her head.

"Yeah the rogue?"

"Well the rogue is from this town; she wore a mask so no one could ID-"

"Wait, she!?"

"All professional killers have to be men?" Sakura crossed her arm over her chest, looking pointedly at me.

"N-No." I felt nervous, "I guess not. We-We were just looking for a guy."

"Figures you would." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"So she is from this town?"

"Yes." Sakura answered.

"Then why was she attacking it?"

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged. "Not really my problem to find out."

"Right." I nodded, "So where is she so we can get going?"

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked.

"U-Um..."

"Naruto, I tracked down a known assassin who has been terrorizing this town who was trapped in a dome because of me. I found her, I questioned her, you don't see her so what do you think I did?"

"You...You killed her."

"You think I would let a murderer run free?"

"No." I sighed; my stomach rumbled causing me to laugh.

"Haven't eaten?"

"No, Tsunade rushed us out of the village when she got the call from Crete so...here I am." I smiled.

"Come on." Sakura waved,

"Huh?"

"Let's go." Sakura called walking away.

"What do you mean? Where are we going?"

"Do you want to stay here and walk all the way back to the Leaf Village?" Sakura asked as I caught up to her. It took me a moment to realize what she was saying.

"You're coming back with us!?" I shouted feeling so happy.

"I am right here-" Sakura grumped. "-why do you have to yell?"

"Hey, when we get back will you come to ichiraku ramen with me?" I watched her face darken for a split second, was this what she looked like when that little voice in the back of her head screamed at her to not let her get any closer? "Please?" I added, "It'll be on me."

"Alright." Sakura sighed, I smiled seeing I had won this round. I swore to myself as we walked to find the rest of my team that I was going to straggle that annoying voice in the back of her head, I would fight it and force it to surrender, Sakura didn't need it anymore. "Hey-" Sakura's voice pulled my attention to her who had stopped walking and was turned around. "-come on."

"Eh?" I asked but followed anyway. Sakura led me to a small building where we both got milkshakes. Sakura said these were the best shakes she has ever had; I didn't believe her until I took a sip of my chocolate shake. I almost melted on the sidewalk from how delicious this thing was! Sakura got the same flavor, I noticed how her tastes had changed over the years. I smiled as I turned around returning to trying to find my team.

"There he is." Sasuke's voice floated to me, "Where have you been!?" Sasuke yelled and then he saw the white cup in my hand, I saw smoke start to steam out his ears. "Are you kidding-" Sasuke's voice soaked up as Sakura stepped beside me.

"Sakura." Kakashi sounded surprised, just as surprised as I was to find her here.

"What-What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked Sakura who was too busy sipping the shake in her hand to respond to him, but that didnt faze him as Sasuke turned back to me. "We are supposed to be tracking down at rogue shinobi, or have you forgotten?!" He lectured me.

"We dont need to do that anymore!" I fought back.

"And why would you think that-!?" Sasuke yelled back but Sakura stepped in.

"Because I got to her first." She said, I still think she looked cute with that amused look in her eyes as her blue straw was pressed against her lips. I really needed to figure out how I felt...

"Her?" Sasuke repeated.

"All professional killers have to be men?" I copied Sakura, I smiled watching Sasuke blush.

"No-No! That is not what I am saying-"

"Where is the rogue?" Kakashi asked, I noticed Sakura didn't look at Kakashi when he spoke to her...what was that all about?

"Dead." Sakura answered.

"Dead?" Sasuke asked.

"Mhm." Sakura hummed looking everywhere but Kakashi's direction.

"Can we go home now?" I wondered; I was starving!

"So, this was your mission?" Sasuke questioned Sakura as I felt chilly wind begin to wrap around the four of us.

"Yup." Sakura popped the 'P' in her response, she didn't seem very interested in talking to Sasuke. Wind pulled all around us protecting us inside a dome as we were ripped away from the town of Crete and before I knew it, we were standing inside the arena of the leaf village.

"So cool!" I smiled looking around seeing we were home so fast! "Are you ready?" I turned to Sakura who shrugged. I grabbed her hand and dragged her behind me. "Come on! I am going to die of starvation!"

I pulled Sakura until we were in front of ichiraku ramen. I felt so excited as I walked in and sat on one of the red bar stools. Sakura sat beside me; I was beaming with delight!

"Naruto!" I looked up and smiled seeing Teuchi, the owner.

"Hey pops!"

"Haven't seen you in a while, everything ok?" He asked, "You haven't found a new favorite place, have you?"

"What?" I laughed, "No! I have just been busy with missions and stuff, ya know?!"

"Oh, I see how-" Teuchi stopped walking once he noticed Sakura sitting beside me. He was blushing making me narrow my eyes,

"Hey!" I called, not liking him eyeing her up. I stopped for a moment realizing it felt like a man who was eye raping my little sister...maybe I didn't love Sakura the way I thought I did...

"What would you two like to order?" Teuchi changed the subject, I kept my eye on him but ordered anyway.

"Extra-large miso with pork cutlets and the works!"

"Someone's hungry." Teuchi laughed.

"You have no idea!" I smiled as Sakura placed her order and Teuchi went into the back. I looked at the bright red bar for a second, then I got bored. "So-!" I smiled at Sakura, who looked at me in response.

"Hm?" She hummed,

"What is it like being the Commander of the Waterfall Village?" I asked, I never asked her about the village she built from the ground up, I never even acknowledged it.

"Fine." Sakura answered so plainly, I nodded looking ahead trying to think of something else to talk about.

"Um..." What could we talk about? Hm... "I like your hair." I smiled; she raised an eyebrow at me looking suspicious.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked clearly wanting to cut to the chase.

"Nothing!" I jumped. "I-I just want to get to know you."

"I thought you already knew me." Sakura leaned on her arm as she faced me, I felt a bubble of babbling about to burst from my chest until I noticed that amused look in her eyes. I smiled, looking at the bar for a second.

"I know pieces." I said looking at her, "But I want to see the whole picture."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked, sounding like she was testing me. "It may not be pretty." I reached over and placed my hand on hers,

"I can handle anything you throw at me; you know that." I reassured her; Sakura was about to answer when I felt a presence behind me.

"This is where you went." I looked over seeing Kakashi standing behind me, I felt Sakura quickly remove her hand from undermine as she turned away.

"Kakashi?" I muttered, "What are you doing here?" I wondered as Teuchi walked out with two bowls. Sasuke walked in as my food was placed in front of me, I felt my mouth drool at the aroma of the ramen.

"It was kind of rude for you two to just ditch us like that." Sasuke crossed his arms as he scowled at me. I smiled with a mouth full of noodles.

"You knew I was hungry." My voice muffled out as a little broth dripped down my chin. Sakura chuckled, handing me her napkin. I muttered a thank you as I wiped my mouth.

"So, your back now?" Sasuke asked, sitting beside Sakura.

"I am sitting here aren't I?" She responded poking at the ramen in front of her. Kakashi sat next to me and placed his order.

"Shouldn't you be checking in with Carver and Raiden?" Sasuke asked after a few stall minutes.

"I am their boss." Sakura looked at Sasuke, her eyes glowing with authority. "They check in with me, not the other way around." The look scribbled on Sasuke's face showed his heart was catching on fire and the longer Sakura stared at him with her gaze the more burnt he was going to be. I turned back to my bowl; it was weird to see Sasuke into a girl. Normally he just used them for their bodies and went about his day. I know I would never let him do that to Sakura but the look on his face was uncontrolled and that was all Sakura seemed to do to us, catching us off guard and making us stumble over each other.

"So-So-" I tried to change the subject, "-Sakura, what are your plans for tomorrow?" I asked,

"Tomorrow is Thursday so I will be joining Carver and Raiden during their training sessions." Sakura answered, which kind of surprised me. I expected her to not answer or tell me it wasn't my business, I smiled, she was opening up to me.

"Oh?" I asked, wanting her to continue. "Why is that?" Sakura looked at me, there was a look on her face. "What?" I questioned.

"They..." She trailed off studying my reaction, "...just need the help." Sakura looked away.

"Your lying." I figured out, "Why are you lying?" I softly laughed, "You don't need to-"

"I do Naruto." Sakura sighed, as she did in that moment, I saw she was really tired and for a moment I forgot she was hurt.

"No, you don't-"

"Naruto." Sakura tried cutting me off, but I wouldn't have it.

"No, Sakura you don't need to lie to me. I can-"

"Fine." Sakura waved her hand. "When Raiden or Carver fail at training, I step in." Her words sent shivers down my back.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked, looking around our surroundings. Sakura took in a deep breath; she licked her lips.

"It means your shinobi are so terrible, Carver and Raiden can't train them." Sakura answered and I felt anger inside my body bubble.

"We are not-"

"Naruto-" Sakura sighed; this was why she was lying to me.

"We are not horrible!"

"Really?" Sakura dared me to continue but I didn't take the warning.

"Yes!" I raised my voice. "We are strong and-"

"Undisciplined." Sakura filled in my words. "Arrogant-"

"How can you sit there and-"

"Because I can." Sakura cut in. "Because it's the truth."

"No! It's not just because things here are not run like a fucking concentration camp like in the Waterfall Village doesn't mean we are-"

"Watch your mouth." Sakura warned.

"Me watch my mouth?!" I jumped up from my booth, "What about you-!?" Sakura rose from her stool slowly and she appeared so calm.

"We may appear to be fine-" Sakura said, pulling out cash from her back pocket and tossing it next to her bowl. "-but Carver, Raiden and I are still injured. We should be recovering but instead we are retraining the Leaf shinobi to give you a fighting chance. One of the reasons most of your shinobi are failing is because they don't take their sessions seriously and they waste my soldiers time and energy. Instead of attacking me, why don't you go talk to your friends and help me and my team help your village?" Sakura turned to leave but she stopped for a moment, "The world is changing, if you don't adapt with it the you and your village is going to be wiped out."

"Smooth." Sasuke said once Sakura was gone, I turned and glared at him.

\----

I stood in front of her door, I sucked in a deep breath. I have been in the same spot for an hour trying to get up the nerve to knock on the door. It has been hours since Sakura left ichiraku ramen and I hated the fact I upset her, but she was bad mouthing my village! I had to defend them! The door opened, I snapped up seeing Raiden leaning against the door frame eating a bag of chips.

"Hey." He nodded.

"Uh..." Was all that would come out of my mouth.

"I got bored waiting for you to come in." He said, pushing himself off the door and walking into the apartment.

"You-You knew I was out here!?" I walked into the apartment.

"Yeah." Carver laughed who was laying on the couch, it looks like they were having a movie night. "We had a bet going on how long you would stand out there."

"I can't believe you left me out there for an hour!" I pouted looking around.

"She ain't here." Carver said taking a chip from the bag that laid on his stomach.

"What?!" My heart dropped, she left again. She left because of me!

"Calm down." Raiden laughed seeing my face. "Don't have a heart attack, Sakura is in a meeting."

"A meeting...?" I glanced at the clock.

"That doesn't matter." Carver said. "Sakura is pulled into all types of shit at odd hours." I was disappointed now...

"What did you do?" Raiden asked as he sat on the couch by Carver's feet.

"Huh-Huh!?" I stuttered.

"What did you do?" Carver repeated for Raiden.

"Was Sakura that mad?" I asked worriedly,

"What?" Carver laughed, "No she just said you were a moron."

"Oh." I didn't know if I should feel relieved or not...

"Your welcome to stay here and wait but it could be hours until she gets back." Raiden said. I looked at the floor, but she looked so tired at ichiraku ramen. Sakura needs to rest and not be in meeting this late at night. Not to mention the fact she was just in Crete; she took down the rogue.

"She's fine man." Carver said, "Sit down or go home you're giving me anxiety." I smiled a little and sat on the floor beside the couch. I ended up falling asleep on the floor watching movies. I woke up with a pillow under my head and a blanket draped over me. I got up, stretching my body smelling breakfast.

"Morning." Carver said, I yawned giving a wave. He and Raiden were already dressed and ready for the day.

"Are you hungry?" He called putting a dirty plate in the sink.

"Yes!" I loved food! Carver chuckled and nodded for me to come help myself. I grabbed a plate full of eggs, bacon and toast. I shoved a large scoop of eggs into my mouth. "Where's Sakura?" I asked.

"She isn't here." Raiden sighed, "She never came home."

"She...you mean she worked all night!?" I gasped,

"That's her norm." Carver explained with a shrug.

"But that isn't healthy! And she is recovering! She needs to be resting and-"

"We have had this conversation about a hundred times with her, she will just tell you she is fine, and she'll hide whatever may be wrong."

"But why!?" I demanded,

"Because she is Sakura." Raiden smiled, I turned to Carver.

"I don't get it."

"Sakura puts everyone before herself, she won't willingly tell you what's wrong with her."

"But why!? That is so annoying!"

"It really is." Carver sighed, "But you get used to it."

"How!?"

"You have to learn how to read her."

"That is impossible!"

"We know." Carver yawned, "We still have trouble figuring out what she is thinking."

"This is stupid, you three should be resting!"

"I agree." Carver said quickly finishing his cup of coffee.

"Then why are you guys training the leaf shinobi?!" I didn't understand.

"I know Naruto-" Carver sighed, "-you think you guys are all strong and can handle anything that comes your way, right?"

"Well...um yeah..." I muttered.

"Sakura is been codling you way too much." Raiden rolled his eyes.

"What does that mean?" I asked feeling defensive.

"You really think your village has just been lucky this whole time?" Carver scoffed,

"I don't know what you're talking about! Just tell me!"

"Sakura." Carver snapped, "She has been defending this village for years against everything that comes its way."

"What...?" I breathed.

"She hated this village, with a passion but she still fought to protect it. The Waterfall Village has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to threats like the Reapers as an example." Carver smacked. "And while we are throwing out facts-" Carver smirked, "-Those seals placed on you and Kakashi were not bought."

"But Sakura said-"

"She lied." Raiden butted in. "She does that a lot in order to shield you."

"So...she just put them on us..." I knew she still cared about us!

"Yeah, Itachi only bought Sasuke's seal."

"How did he buy it?" I wondered,

"He joined us." Carver said as if that was normal.

"Wait--back up what!?" I yelled; Raiden looked at Carver.

"What wasn't clear about that?" Raiden asked,

"I don't know." Carver shrugged.

"Wow...I had no idea Itachi was like...I mean I know he was like the good guy and our spy but...he was a part of your group!?"

"Yeah, he and Sakura were pretty close actually." Carver recalled,

"Maybe that's why Sakura hates Sasuke so much?" Raiden guessed.

"That's right...Sasuke killed Itachi."

"You catch up quick." Carver joked, I lightly glared as he walked past me.

"Where are you going?" I asked,

"Training starts soon."

"But..." I looked in my lap, remembering what Sakura said last night. "You two are hurt."

"Yeah well..." Carver slid on his shoes. "That doesn't help you guys out." He laughed.

"There is coffee and help yourself to the rest of the food." Raiden called opening the door,

"And I believe your time slought for training is like one I think?" Carver shrugged not really knowing, "I'll see you then." He waved closing the door. I sighed, leaning back on the couch looking at the ceiling. I huffed but got up anyway. I drank a cup of coffee before going to my apartment to take a shower and change into clean clothing. It was noon, but I am sure Carver wouldn't care if I came a little early to watch them. I walked out my apartment and into the warm day, man it was going to be fall soon and I was not ready for that. I looked up at the sky, if Sakura wasn't at her apartment this morning than that means Carver or Raiden had to be the one to cover me up and give me that pillow...underneath their sarcastic exterior those two were really nice.

Carver and Raiden have been using the arena as their training grounds. I walked into the stands; I didn't want to be in the way since it wasn't my time to be here just yet. I got up to the seats and saw a lot of people were watching.

"Eh?" I walked to where everyone was, I saw a lot of my friends were here watching down below. I walked up in between Kakashi and Sasuke. "What are you guys doing here-" I gasped, seeing Sakura was below fighting Kiba. My mouth dropped open, "What-What the hell is she doing down there!?"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, "She told you she was joining them here today." I turned to Sasuke, was that why he and Kakashi were here?

"Sakura had been in meetings all night." I explained my reaction. "She hasn't slept and yesterday she was-"

"Dealing with that rogue." Sasuke finished for me, he sighed and shook his head. "What is she thinking?"

"I don't know." I sighed, I watched Sakura she was so fast when she moved. She kicked Kiba like it was nothing, he flew back into the dirt crumbling it beneath him leaving him in a crater.

"Such strength." Someone behind me breathed, I looked and saw it was Guy who stood beside Kakashi. Carver and Raiden stood off to the side with a collection of leaf shinobi lined up. Carver turned to one ninja I didn't really know. After a moment that shinobi jogged towards Sakura, he looked a little scared as Kiba was picked up by Iruka and carried away with his dog following. That ninja lasted a whole two minutes, Sakura spun around his wind jutsu and broke his nose with such ease. The ninja fell backwards onto his ass and refused to get back up. Sakura sighed, shaking her head at Carver as she walked away from the shinobi who wouldn't move until Iruka came and got him. Maybe we weren't as good as I thought we were.

"Ooo...." Lee hissed, "...that looked like it really hurt."

"Yeah." I nodded agreeing. TenTen was up next, Carver turned to her and nodded for her to run out onto the field with Sakura. Shikamaru was behind TenTen and a few others stood behind him. TenTen nodded, doing as told as ran in front of Sakura.

"This will be interesting." Guy muttered.

"Huh?" I said, looking up at him as the two women began their battle. "Why do you say that?"

"Even though Sakura has a great source of chakra-" Guy turned to me, "-I have noticed she doesn't use a lot of jutsu, she mainly fights hand to hand combat."

"Your right..." I realized he was correct, Tenten was all about hand to hand and weapons. I turned back to the fight, TenTen could not land a hit on Sakura as she continued to summon different kinds of weapons. Sakura dodged every strike and then told TenTen what she had done wrong.

"She's holding back." Guy muttered; his grip of the railing tightened. I glanced over at his face, TenTen was his student. Guy was the one to train her, I turned back to Sakura who was holding back. I have seen Sakura in a fight, she is fast and swift and left no survivors. If this had been a real fight, then we would be sitting ducks...damnit Sakura was right we do kind of suck compared to her. Sakura moved, avoiding a wave of shuriken I watched her flinch, my heart skipped seeing this.

"Did you see that!?" I felt myself begin to sweat at every move TenTen made.

"Yeah." Sasuke's jaw was locked, Carver and Raiden turned to each other and whispered, they were going to stop this, right!?

"She's in pain." I breathed. TenTen continued her assaults and the longer they fought the harder it was to remain in my place. TenTen ran up, changing her technique and tried to go head to head with Sakura. "Stop!" I yelled, TenTen looked in my direction then back to Sakura. Thank the ramen heavens TenTen jumped back away from Sakura.

"Your hurt!?" TenTen asked Sakura, "I-I cant'-" Yes, thank you TenTen!

"Your enemy won't care if your hurt." Sakura called, wait what!?

"What is she doing!?" I yelled frustrated! Sakura dashed forward; I almost couldn't keep up with her movements as she went over to TenTen.

"I can't watch this-!" I was about to move to jump down and stop Sakura from fighting myself until in an instant I watched Sakura take down TenTen, she kicked her leg out from under her and twisted her arm behind her back, TenTen cried out in pain. I heard Guy yell, jumping down from the stands and racing towards Sakura. I moved to follow but I stopped, seeing Kakashi was standing on Guy. Kakashi was still reading his pervy book looking like he didn't have a damn about what was going on around him!

"Ka-Kakashi-!?" Guy gasped,

"Two against one, that is cheating." Kakashi said without looking up from his book. Sakura let TenTen go, she fell forward holding her shoulder gasping for air. Sakura turned to Guy and Kakashi.

"Are you two trying to train with me?" Sakura questioned.

"Oh no-" Kakashi waved, giving his famous closed eye smile. "-Guy just fell."

"Fe-Fell!?" Guy grumped under Kakashi's weight.

"If you don't get the hell off my floor you won't have a say." Sakura turned from them.

"Sorry-Sorry." Kakashi smiled, picking Guy up and throwing him over his shoulder. "Come on." He said and moved in my direction. Kakashi and Guy made their way back to where I stood. I saw TenTen and Kiba were behind them.

"Hey." I said, watching the two sit down as Kakashi dropped Guy who groaned in pain. "You ok?" I asked my two friends.

"No." Kiba growled, holding a bag of ice against his face.

"What the hell was that?" Choji munched on a bag of chips.

"That-" Guy sat up, his eyes sharp as a sword and lit like a fire was burning inside him. "-is a Commander down there."

"Eh?" I tilted my head. TenTen held ice on her shoulder.

"I don't know what kind of training she thinks this is-" TenTen glared a head of her, "-but this is a bunch of bullshit." I looked away from them hearing a voice,

"Does your offer still stand?" Shikamaru walked past Carver and towards Sakura.

"What is he doing?" Sasuke asked.

"Offer?" Sakura asked.

"Whoever takes you down doesn't have to be here." Shikamaru clarified.

"What is he doing!?" I yelled.

"It does." Sakura nodded,

"Well alright then." Shikamaru said, quickly jumping forward.

"He knows she is hurt." Hinata's shy voice said, she sat beside TenTen.

"That's why he is attacking her." Sasuke said, "This could be his only shot at hurting her."

"No." I shook my head, turning back to the fight below us. "Shikamaru!" I yelled jumping off the stands into the thin grass below. I looked up seeing Shikamaru was hitting to kill, "Hey!" I caught his attention. "What the hell are you doing!? We don't attack our own!"

"She isn't one of our own!" Shikamaru snapped back jumping out of the way of Sakura. His words were true but still felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down my back. "Now shut up-" Shikamaru was cut off, Sakura slammed her leg into him. He dropped to the ground hard, my mouth dropped open...she hadn't been that rough with the others. "Wh-What-?" Shikamaru was just was shocked.

"You never take your eye off your opponent." Sakura said, bending down beside him.

"Ugh..." Shikamaru's eyes closed as he was knocked out.

"Naruto!" Carver called, I turned to him. "You're up!"

"What?" I breathed, turning back to Sakura as Shikamaru was picked up and dragged away.

"It's your turn-" Raiden repeated, "-your name is next-"

"No." I shook my head, looking back at Sakura. "Your hurt-"

"Anyone who refuses to fight runs laps." Carver shook his head, "Trust me man, you don't want to do that!" I ignored Carver and moved to Sakura.

"You're in pain-" I breathed, but Sakura's face wasn't one of a friend. I understood Guy now, this woman right here was a commander.

"Let's go." Sakura said, ignoring my comment.

"No." I said, "I am not going to fight you!" I yelled; how could she expect me too!?

"You'll do laps." She said, her eyes sharp as they cut into me. I shook my head.

"I don't care! I'll do the stupid laps if that means you get a break-"

"Carver-!" Sakura called, "Strap him up, send the next one!"

"What!? No!" I yelled seeing Raiden push a shinobi forward to go up against Sakura.

"I told you-" Carver said walking up to me. "-you're not going to want to do this."

"She is hurt-" I repeated, and I will repeat this until I was blue in the face.

"I know." Carver's face was tight, "She will be fine-"

"How can you say that!?" I snapped,

"This isn't the first time she has fought while hurt, and I am sure it won't be the last."

"But-"

"Naruto-" Carver snapped, "Please." I watched him open a case of what looked like cornhole bags. He pulled out a four that were connected and tied them to each of my ankles. "Are you ok?" I asked,

"Arms out." He instructed; I did as told Carver wrapped the cornhole bags on my arms and once he let go, I fell to the ground.

"What-What the hell are these!?"

"Weights." Carver said like it was fucking obvious.

"What are these made of!?"

"A bit of advice because you listen so well, get going now."

"Huh?" I asked as he clipped a little black box to me.

"This tracks your progress."

"Progress?"

"Mhm, your hundred laps."

"Uh-Uh...you said what now?"

"You have to run one hundred laps, that's the punishment for not training." Carver said.

"I-I can barely move with these things on me!"

"The only advice I can give you is pace yourself and get started now so your done before training tomorrow." I slowly stood, it felt like I had an elephant sitting in my arms and like my feet were magnets and the freaking ground was metal!

"What-What!? Are you insane?! Where did you even think of something like this!?"

"This is how we were trained." Carver answered, I looked over at him. "We wouldn't make you guys do anything we couldn't."

"What?"

"And trust me-" Carver said, "-Sakura is going easy on you."

"This is easy!?"

"Yeah."

"How in the hell-"

"Kaguya is a twisted bitch." Carver sighed, after a moment he smiled hitting my shoulder which pushed me back and fell. "Good luck!"


	18. Chapter 18

It took me hours to complete my one hundred laps around the leaf village, because I refused to fight Sakura. I wasn't the only one who was punished and forced to run until we dropped with weights strapped to my arms and legs, our progress was all tracked through little black boxes that Carver had clipped to me. There were seven other people I would pass them every so often, two of which tried to cheat. One shinobi tried to pay the other to run their laps, the paid shinobi took the little black box from the paying person and tried to run with two of them but as far as I know he didn't get very far. Raiden showed up and not long after he vanished, I didn't pass either ninja after they were caught.

The sun was rising, it was four or five in the morning when I was finally done running. I dropped onto a nearby bench and instantly fell asleep. I can remember flashes of Carver's face as he picked me up and carried me home. I remember whining to him about how unfair this was, but he just said he couldn't favor me over the other shinobi, it wouldn't have been fair. I woke up inside my apartment after only a few hours of sleep. My training session today was a ten in the freaking morning, as I moved around my body was sore in places, I didn't know could ache.

I collapsed in a seat in the stands of the arena, I leaned onto the railing as I wanted to cry. I didn't even get to eat breakfast since I woke up late and had to get here because there was no way on this earth, I could do that punishment again. My friends sat around me, they all complained about being here and for once I agreed. I hurt so bad I just wanted to go home stuff my face and sleep for three days. On the bright side of things, the arena was set up for target practice so there was no fighting today. I don't think I could last long in a fight right now even if I wanted too. Carver explained how we will be practicing different types of target practice today. We were first going to do the standard shooting at a nonmoving target, second we would try to hit a moving target and then lastly we were going to have to hit clones that they summon.

My name was called out and I heard my voice groan, my feet moved on their own as I did what I was told. I moved below where Carver and Raiden were waiting for me. I opened my eyes after dragging myself onto the field, I saw Sakura was here as well. She made us line up on blue lines that were spray painted onto the grass. Carver handed each of us a set of different colored kunai.

"Hit the target." Sakura instructed, I looked ahead of me. I had to squint my eyes to see the target.

"That is at least a hundred yards." TenTen said, "No one can make that shot!" I agreed, I could barely move my arms, no way was I hitting that.

"We are being set up to fail-" Shikamaru started but was cut off by Sakura, she pulled out a silver kunai and whipped it my mouth dropped seeing she not only hit the target, she hit the damn center.

"We are not going to make you do anything we can't." Sakura said, turning to Shikamaru and TenTen. "The faster you complete the three sets of target practice, the faster your done with us for the day."

\----

I stepped out of my bathroom feeling refreshed in clean clothes. After eating three cups of ramen I looked outside, it was late this whole day flew past me before I could enjoy it. I wondered if Sakura and the others were done with their training for the day? I walked out of my apartment and came face to face with Sasuke and Kakashi. I smiled at the two as I moved to knock on Sakura's door.

"Come in!" Carver called; yay they were home! I walked in with a full smile, I waved about to greet them until my smile dropped off my face. I looked around and saw Carver was on the couch shirtless. Bloody gauze was in a wastebasket as I watched him stick a fresh gauze on his side where a four-inch gash was healing. "Where have you guys been?" Carver wondered.

"Huh-Huh?" I asked,

"I figured you three would be waiting by the door for us to get back." Carver smiled, looking over at where we stood. I looked up, seeing Sakura was walking out of the kitchen holding two bottles of beer in her hand. My mouth tipped open seeing her, she wore grey shorts and a half light blue shirt. It wasn't the fact that this was the most of her skin I have seen but it was the fact that I could see the full damage she took inside the Iron Village. Sakura handed Carver a bottle, there were small cuts all over her body, but the most noticeable one were the large six-inch gash running along her stomach, Sakura turned ignoring my blank stare. As she did, I saw another cut on the side of her shoulder which ran up over onto her back. How the hell has she been fighting!? Sakura said down at the small table which fit three people. There were used bloody gauze in a bag next to her.

"What-" I didn't even know what to say.

"What's wrong?" Carver asked, taking a long drink of his beer. Carver studied my face, looked at Sakura and then back to me. "Oh!" He laughed, "You three haven't seen our injuries." I nodded, he hit the nail on the head. "Well..." He sighed, leaning against the couch his face scrunched in pain. "...welcome, you caught us at a bad time."

"Bad time?" Sasuke asked walking into the apartment. "I had no idea you two were this hurt."

"Yeah well..." Carver shrugged, "...we got pretty fucked up." Carver smiled as if this was just a normal day for them. I counted seven large gauze on Carver's body each covered healing wounds. "I'm coming!" Carver said, Sakura was sitting at the table waiting for help.

"I got it." Kakashi said, not letting Carver answer as he pulled a chair close to Sakura and sat in front of her.

"Oh thank you." Carver breathed leaning against the couch, he was tired... I moved to the table and sat in the free chair. I watched in silence as Kakashi cleaned and dressed Sakura's wounds. I took this chance to study her, whenever I was around her she always wore clothing that covered most of her body. Kakashi moved Sakura's long hair out of the way as he began to clean a cut that sliced her skin open on the front of her chest.

"Are you ok?" I breathed, looking at all the bruising and cuts. Sakura smirked at me, looking as if her body wasn't holding together with gauze and medical tape.

"I'm fine." She said pulling the bottle to her lips, I didn't know Sakura drank beer.

"You...You don't look fine." I said looking into her eyes.

"It looks worse than it is." Sakura promised, but I didn't buy it.

"Where is Raiden?" Sasuke looked around,

"Asleep." Carver said pointing to the bedroom.

"Were you shot?" Kakashi's voice quickly collected all attention in the room. I stood, moving to see what Kakashi was looking at. There was a hole on Sakura's thigh, it was the size of a nickel.

"Yeah." Carver answered for Sakura, "Now that...hurt like a mother fucker." Carver laughed.

"You guys were shot at!?" I panicked, as if there was something I could do.

"Yes." Sakura sighed, "Sit down." She waved, I did as told.

"Guns are obsolete though." Sasuke said, "We can easily stop the bullet with-"

"No so much anymore." Carver shook his head.

"What does that mean?" I asked,

"Well-" Carver said laying on the couch. "-It means the world is getting more fucked up than what is already is."

"What is he talking about?" I asked Sakura,

"There has been rumors about guns being made that could shook through chakra." Sakura answered.

"What!?" I felt scared,

"Calm down." Sakura said, "If I wasn't bleeding out and carrying Raiden, I could of deflect the bullets. I wouldn't be too worried about this."

"But-But-!?"

"Even you could stop those bullets, it just takes more chakra to do so." Sakura comforted me.

"Oh." I breathed, my chest deflating. I went back to watching Kakashi, Sakura's injured leg was resting on Kakashi's lap as he patched her up. She leaned back on the chair, her eyes were closed altogether I counted eight gauzes on Sakura's body when Kakashi was finished.

"So, Sakura..." I spoke up, her eyes opened hearing her name.

"Hm?" She hummed; her eyes looked dull showing she needed a few days of sleep.

"Do you have any meetings tonight?" I asked, Carver said Sakura would be training with them throughout the day and then stuck in meetings with the waterfall village during the night.

"No, not tonight." Sakura answered,

"Oh!" I perked up, "That's good what are you going to-"

"Sleep." Sakura answered, pulling her leg off Kakashi's lap. "Thanks." She said to Kakashi who nodded. She grabbed her bottle of beer of the table.

"Are-Are you going to bed now?" I stood up.

"Yes." Sakura answered, moving towards the bedroom.

"Isn't Raiden asleep in there?" Sasuke asked, I knew he was right.

"Yeah?" Sakura said,

"Sakura!" I called, she turned before walking into the room, "You can sleep in my room."

"Huh?" Sakura asked, I felt Kakashi and Sasuke's stare on the side of my face.

"So, you don't have to sleep on the floor." I clarified; I could hear Carver laughing.

"I won't be sleeping on the floor." Sakura said, "Goodnight." She called walking into the darkened bedroom, closing the door. My mouth hung open when I put two and two together, Sakura was going to sleep with Raiden in the same bed!

"You should see your faces!" Carver laughed.

"So...she sleeps with Raiden?" I turned to Carver,

"She sleeps with me too." Carver smirked.

"Uh..." I looked at Kakashi and then to Sasuke who had a hard gaze on Carver.

"Oh calm down!" Carver laughed, turning around to look at the TV.

"She was barely wearing any clothes!" I shouted,

"Yeah, Raiden isn't wearing anything either." Carver smiled, seeing my face redden.

"But-she-and-" I wasn't sure where my sentence was going.

"Breathe Naruto." Carver said.

"How can I breathe when-"

"But now-" Carver cut my ranting in half. "-You three would know by now that Raiden and I only look at Sakura as a sister."

"You do?" Sasuke asked, relief filled his face as he looked back at the bedroom door.

"Yes." Carver laughed at our reaction. "So calm down everything is fine, and she is safe."

"Ok." I nodded,

"She already turned us down-" Carver added, I flipped around to look at him as Sasuke glared.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke questioned.

"You have eyes." Carver said, "Sakura's hot."

"Eh-?!" If Carver really looked at Sakura as a little sister, he wouldn't be calling her hot!

"Don't give me that twisted incest look." Carver told Sasuke, "She isn't my real sister. At some point I had to have met her and yes when I first met Sakura, I was attracted to her. Of course I didn't try anything when I first met her, she was like a fucking nuclear bomb just waiting to go off. But as we spent more time together and I got to know her as more than just a Commander, I fell for her." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You..." Sasuke said slowly, "...You fell for her?"

"Mhm." Carver nodded, not ashamed in the slightest. "Back when I first met Sakura, she was like this powerful force that choked me and I liked it. I never met someone so fearless and strong-" Carver smiled, looking into his memories. "-Sakura broke every rule and was so captivating."

"How-What changed?" I asked leaning into his words, maybe I could get some advice, I was still struggling with keeping my emotions together.

"It was all sex." Carver said.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi's voice was dark, I pulled my lips together hearing his deep voice as I inched away from him on the couch.

"I never slept with her." Carver clarified with a chuckled, "Sakura was this complicated mystery, no one knew anything about her. No one knew where she came from, it was hot I won't lie I wanted Sakura for her body." I felt an urge to hit Carver, "Don't give me that look-" Carver pointed at me, "-But she turned me down multiple times and after a while I just realized I felt something for her but it wasn't lust." Carver shrugged, "She is my little sister, Raiden is the same way."

"Raiden had a thing for Sakura to?" Sasuke wondered,

"As fun as digging our pasts up is, I am exhausted." Carver said, grabbing a blanket from off the couch.

"Yeah." I nodded, standing. "You should probably get some sleep."

"You guys have the weekend, off right?" Carver rolled onto his side.

"Yeah." I smiled,

"You guys should come over for dinner after training." Carver said, "I don't know how great the food will be, when your constantly on the road one of the few skills you lack is how to cook. But it should be entertaining."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled as I followed my team out of the apartment.

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

"So!" Carver said, walking out of the bedroom after a hot shower. Sakura looked up from her phone as she sipped her coffee, Carver sat across from Sakura at their small table. Carver leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you going to spit it out or...?" Sakura trailed off; it was too early for riddles.

"How uh-" Carver smiled, "-how's Kakashi?"

"You saw him last night?" Sakura said sat her phone down and looked at the two large stacks of paperwork in front of her Dawn had sent her, she really hates paperwork.

"That is not what I meant." Carver said taking Sakura's coffee cup and drinking from it.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for training?" Sakura asked,

"Shouldn't you?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because I have a thing."

"A thing?"

"Mhm."

"Like...a dick appointment?" A sly smile spread across Carver's face as Sakura looked up at him annoyed.

"I didn't fuck him." Sakura stated for the tenth time.

"Mm..." Carver sighed, "I don't buy that-"

"I don't really give a fuck what you believe." Sakura said,

"Touchy." Carver coughed, "You're getting a little worked up."

"I am not."

"Yes you are."

"Go away Carver."

"It isn't like you to get worked up over anything, let alone a man."

"I am not getting worked up." Sakura stated.

"I can read your face."

"No you can't." Sakura said, scribbling her name on a document.

"Yes I can." Carver laughed; Sakura looked up.

"If that was true, then you would shut the hell up before I throw you out the window."

"See? That is the definition of getting worked up."

"Who is getting worked up?" Raiden yawned having just woken.

"Sakura is." Carver smiled,

"She is not." Sakura said dropping her pen on the stack of paper.

"Why are you getting worked up?" Raiden asked pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm not." Sakura snapped glaring at Carver.

"I brought up Kakashi." Carver answered as Raiden sat down at the small table.

"Oh, I see." Raiden teased looking at Sakura who rolled her eyes. "I have to say, I am surprised you would be interested in someone."

"Right?" Carver chuckled.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sakura questioned.

"Nothing!" Raiden laughed, "I mean it's just...you're not really..."

"I'm not what?"

"You what know I am surprised about?" Carver turned to Raiden, ignoring Sakura who glared at both the men. It was too early for this!

"Hm?" Raiden smiled knowing how annoyed Sakura was.

"That Kakashi is interested in her."

"Oh I know!"

"What the fuck?" Sakura asked,

"This is a compliment." Raiden said, patting Sakura's shoulder.

"The fuck it is!" Sakura said holding her hands out.

"Wait-" Raiden said, "-why do you think Kakashi is interested?"

"That's right! You were asleep last night!" Carver perked up, "So after you went to bed, we were changing our bandages and team seven decided to come over, Kakashi didn't skip a beat at being the one to bandage her up." Carver winked at Sakura.

"I always miss the good stuff!" Raiden whined, "The poor bastard." Raiden and Carver laughed,

"What?" Sakura asked,

"Huh?" Carver hummed,

"Why do I get the feeling you two are fucking with me?" Sakura asked, leaning back on the chair.

"We-We are not!" Raiden smiled, "It's just you...your...Carver?" Raiden said earning a glare from Carver.

"Sakura your awesome, you really are but all that awesomeness is like deep, deep....way deep down there and most men are intimidated by you and most of them uh...you know...run...?" Carver nervously laughed as the front door opened. "Oh thank God." Carver sighed seeing Naruto walk in so now this conversation could quickly die.

"Morning!" Naruto waved, "What's up?" He asked moving towards the table, Sakura stood.

"Carver and Raiden were just telling me how I am dick repellent." Sakura said, grabbing her phone and moving to leave the apartment.

"That-That is not what we were saying!" Raiden yelled as Sakura left the apartment.

"It isn't?" Carver asked looking at Raiden who shook his head. "So!" Carver smiled looking at Naruto. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I had something to do." Naruto muttered sitting in Sakura's seat. Naruto gazed at all the homework Sakura had to do, he brushed his fingers over her signature.

"What thing?" Raiden wondered,

"Eh, it was nothing..."

"Try again." Carver said,

"I might have gotten into an argument."

"With?" Raiden wondered.

"Sasuke?" Carver guessed.

"No."

"Well who was it with?" Raiden asked, "Maybe we can help?"

"It wasn't just with one person..." Naruto placed his head on the table groaning.

"Eh?" Carver and Raiden were at a loss Naruto looked up,

"I might have gotten into a fight with like everyone."

"Can you clarify everyone?" Carver asked,

"Like everyone I had grown up with!" Naruto dropped his head back on the table. "All my friends."

"Oh." Carver nodded, "Why?" He asked.

"Because of you guys!" Naruto sat up.

"What the hell did we do?" Raiden wondered, "I literally just woke up!"

"The fight didn't have anything to do with you guys, it has to do with them...what they are not doing."

"And that would be...?" Carver trailed off waiting for Naruto to continue.

"They are not taking your training sessions seriously. You guys are hurt and instead of recovering you are taking the time out of your day to try and make us better. When I saw just how hurt you guys were last night, I was so mad at them for bad mouthing you and-"

"Naruto-" Carver said placing his hand on Naruto's head. "-you don't need to fight our fights. You don't need to go fighting with your friends just because of us-"

"No." Naruto shook his head, "It isn't right!"

"It doesn't matter." Raiden yawned,

"It matters to me!" Naruto said.

"Why?" Raiden asked lazily.

"Because you guys are my friends!" Naruto stood, "And I am not going to let your hard work go to waste!" Carver and Raiden glanced at each other and then smiled.

"You're our friend too Naruto." Carver smirked, "Now sit down and eat some breakfast before training."

"O-Ok!" Naruto blushed running into the kitchen to get some cereal. Carver smiled to himself as he shook his head finishing his cup of coffee getting ready for another day of training.

Naruto bounced beside Carver, they stood in the arena as they practice targets again. Naruto was determined to hit that target no matter what! Naruto looked over at Carver who was helping Hinata, Raiden was changing out the nonmoving targets, Naruto didn't care how long it was going to take him he will make that shot and make those two proud of him!

After three hours of baking in the sun with the cool fall air blowing around Naruto watched as a kunai flew past him, spinning gracefully as it plunged into the heart of the target. Naruto's mouth dropped open,

"I did it." TenTen breathed, her mouth open in shock. TenTen turned to Neji who was beside her who looked just as surprised. "I did it!"

"Good job." Naruto spun hearing that voice, Sakura stood behind them. TenTen didn't know what to say as Sakura smiled to her, TenTen felt her cheeks blush. "Three more of those and you get to leave early." TenTen nodded, Sakura walked down the line of leaf shinobi. Sakura reached out, raising Naruto's elbow higher. Naruto's heart skipped as a smile stretched across his face, with his posture adjusted Naruto flung the kunai forward hitting the side of the target.

"Yes!" Naruto jumped, turning to see the three Waterfall soldiers all watching him with smiles on their faces. Naruto bounced with his arms in the air. "Did you see that!?" He yelled at them,

"Yeah-Yeah." Carver waved, "Try hitting the middle of it next time!" Carver's grin never left his face as he told Naruto to get back to work.

"They are getting better." Raiden nodded,

"Maybe Naruto did shake something awake." Carver muttered.

"What?" Sakura asked,

"Nothing." Carver smiled, "How did your thing go this morning?"

"Painful." Sakura muttered, "Rather of watched fucking paint dry." Carver and Raiden laughed at Sakura's misery. Sakura turned her head seeing his hair on the corner of her eye. Kakashi was in the stands, leaning against a beam gazing into his book. Sakura was struggling to ignore his presence. When she pushed him out of her mind, she felt the color leak out of her world, leaving her standing in a dark gray blur. Sakura licked her lips looking away from Kakashi feeling the echo of his kiss. "I have to leave again."

"What?" Raiden asked, "Why?"

"Because." Sakura crossed her arms.

"Alright fuck us then." Carver said, not happy she was leaving again. Sakura was in worse condition than Carver and Raiden combined.

"I'm going to the River Village." Sakura sighed,

"What?" Raiden perked up, "I wanna go!"

"We can't leave this village open." Sakura reminded.

"But-"

"Why?" Carver asked the right question, "Why are you going there?"

"Because they need my blood." Sakura answered,

"Huh?" Raiden scrunched his face.

"The Reaper's poison." Sakura reminded that the river village was searching for an antidote, per Sakura's request.

"I thought they had the poison?" Carver asked, Sakura shrugged.

"I don't know." Sakura sighed, "I won't be long."

"I invited team seven for dinner tonight." Carver said, "Can't you go tomorrow?"

"Tell them I'm sorry." Sakura shrugged,

"Can you even transport there?" Raiden asked, "I know you claim to be all bulletproof but you're not, you need recovery time and three weeks is not enough-"

"I am fine." Sakura's voice was stable but strong, daring them to try and argue with her. Carver sighed feeling wind wrapping around her.

"You better be back tomorrow." Carver warned as they backed up giving Sakura space.

"What happened!?" Naruto ran up with a few people behind him.

"Huh?" Carver asked,

"Where did Sakura go?" Sasuke questioned.

"She will be back." Carver said.

"What?" Naruto breathed looking at the space Sakura once stood.

"Trust me." Carver smiled, "Get back to training." Carver called glancing at Raiden who also had a worried look hidden in his features.

\----

Fall was in full bloom; two weeks had grazed through the village hidden in the leaf's when Sakura dropped back into the village. Sakura dropped into arena, she breathed opening her eyes and looked around. No one was here, it was late as the sun was falling asleep. Sakura leaped onto the arena's roof she looked around the leaf village. Sakura felt her muscles relax as she felt shivers run down her arms and they weren't from the cold. Sakura looked at her hands, a feeling crept over her shoulder it was familiar and distant. She looked up to gaze at the leaf village, she felt like she was arriving home.

"Really?" Carver's voice caused Sakura to smile as she turned around. There her teammate stood; his arms crossed over his chest as his facial expression was serious. "You said you were just going to the River Village."

"I did."

"No, you went there then you went to the fucking Waterfall Village. Sakura you could have been killed!"

"No I couldn't have."

"You're not bulletproof!" Carver yelled,

"I know I'm not."

"Then stop acting like it-!" Carver stopped talking seeing a cut running across her cheek. Carver quickly closed the distance between them as he cupped her face. "What-"

"Nothing."

"Don't fucking tell me nothing!" Carver yelled stepping back. "Diem told me everything, you burnt down a fucking Reapers camp with Dawn!"

"I did."

"Without me!"

"I didn't-"

"Sakura-" Carver cut her off, "-I can't lose you too!"

"You're not going to lose me."

"If you keep throwing yourself into the fire, yes I am!"

"I'm sorry." Sakura sighed,

"That doesn't mean anything to me. What would have happened if you were killed out there? Sorry wouldn't bring you back to Raiden and me!"

"I know." Sakura said turning to look back at the leaf village.

"You-" Carver cut himself off, seeing how light her face appeared. "-did you get laid?"

"What?" Sakura laughed, "No, it's just..." She said looking away from him, Carver smiled walking to stand beside her.

"This place is different." Carver said.

"That is an understatement." Sakura chuckled.

"You have come a long way." Carver muttered.

"Hm?" Sakura asked,

"I can read you, and I like to think that I know you better than anyone else."

"Possibly." Sakura smiled,

"Are you home?" Carver asked her, Sakura looked away trying to pull her emotions back inside. "You know you don't need to do that, not when it's me. It's ok if you like being here, it's ok if you like being around team seven and its fine Sakura if you have feelings for Kakashi. He seems to be a great man who is into you."

"I-"

"Why don't you just give it a chance?" Carver cut her off before she could speak.

"I would break him." Sakura answered, not liking this open touchy feely crap.

"Kakashi looks like the kind of guy who would be into that." Carver joked, "Hey-" Carver turned Sakura around to face him. "I understand the pain this village brought onto you, but they are human and humans make mistakes. I am not saying that excuses what they did but they have been busting their asses trying to get to know you. I see you here inside this village, I see how different you act while you're inside these gates and frankly, this is the happiest I have ever seen you."

"I don't know what happened." Sakura muttered.

"Who did what?" Carver asked,

"I don't know when I started to hate my own village."

"The Waterfall is not a village it is a fucking war zone." Carver said, "Doesn't surprise me constantly looking over your shoulder was getting old."

"I did that to those people." Sakura furrowed her brows together, thinking about the countless shinobi she turned into soldiers.

"No." Carver stated, "Kaguya did that to those people, and she did it to you."

"I...I don't know." Sakura breathed.

"I believe everything happens for a reason." Carver smiled down at her. "I may not understand why my family was slaughtered, but that path I was thrown on led me to you and you and Raiden are my home. You two are more my family than my own parents ever were." Carver reached down and hugged Sakura. "It pains me to see how much suffering you had to drag yourself through, but you have come too far and grown into your power with grace. If your parents could see you now, I know they would be so proud of the woman you have become."

"Carver?" Sakura asked, her head resting on his shoulder.

"But I know for a fact they wouldn't want you inside that village." Carver breathed, pulling away but keeping a hand on her side and cupped her face. "Sakura, I don't want to return to the Waterfall Village when this is all over." Sakura searched Carver's face and saw this had been eating at him for some time now, there was guilt in his eyes as if this was Carver walking away from Sakura.

"If you want to stay in this village and wear their headband you know I will support you." Sakura said,

"I know you will, but I want you to stand by your side."

"You won't be leaving me just because you settle down here." Sakura smiled; Carver looked down as tears filled his eyes.

"I feel like I would be letting you down if I stayed here." Carver whispered as tears split down his cheeks. Sakura reached up and brushed them away,

"You could never let me down; I am so proud of you and Raiden." Carver sniffed and nodded his head, Carver felt relieved as his chest deflated. This had been eating away at him for a while now, Carver cleared his throat and stepped away causing Sakura to laugh.

"Well that's enough-" Carver said about to wipe his face with his hand but stopped seeing a red liquid shining on his skin. Carver quickly looked at Sakura, she raised her hands to try and calm him.

"Don't freak out." She said,

"Oh..." Carver laughed, "I am going to blow the damn roof off this village!" Carver grabbed Sakura and dragged her in the direction of the hospital.

"There isn't a roof for you to blow-" Sakura joked but Carver cut her off.

"I'm mad at you!" Carver snapped,

"You can't be mad at me." Sakura stated, "I just gave you my blessing to leave me."

"Hey!" Carver snapped, "You can't go guilting me around-" Carver said as they walked into the hospital, to Carver's delight and for Sakura's personal hell Tsunade was standing in the lobby talking to a nurse. "Tsunade!" Carver waved, Tsunade looked over and smiled.

"Your back!" Tsunade excused the nurse.

"We need a room." Carver stated.

"Uh-Um..." Tsunade stuttered, her mind living inside the gutter. "You-You can't do that in the hospital-"

"What?" Carver asked, he pointed to Sakura. "She needs to be looked at!"

"Oh-Oh!" Tsunade laughed, "Follow me." Tsunade led Carver and Sakura to a private room, Carver pulled out his phone and texted Raiden what was going on.

Sakura was sitting on a hospital bed listening to Tsunade and Carver lecture her on her health. Sakura had reopened a few stitches on her side, it was nothing Sakura cared about but Tsunade was a different story. Sakura glanced from looking out the window towards the two, she smiled and looked away. If she was home inside the waterfall village, Kaguya would yell at her for getting hurt and tell her to go patch herself up alone while she goes drinking and watching TV.

"Where is she!?" Sakura snapped to the door to the room, Raiden and team seven had thrown open the door and were looking frantic. Sakura raised an eyebrow at their behavior. "What the fuck!?" Raiden yelled walking closer. "You said one day! You would be gone for only one day! It has been two fucking weeks!" Sakura sighed, watching Raiden and Naruto fifty question her but deep inside her chest she loved that people cared she was injured. She liked when they lectured her on her health or her poor eating habits.

"You are grounded!" Sakura was pulled back to the hospital room, she smiled to herself looking to the floor. A pair of blue sandals caused Sakura to look up, Kakashi stood in front of her he reached out and brushed his fingers under the cut across her cheek. Sakura licked her lips and pulled her face away from him, Carver sighed shaking his head watching Sakura's stubborn ass.

"Let's go!" Carver called.

"Go?" Raiden asked, "Where? Sakura-"

"Will not be staying inside a hospital." Sakura said, standing from the bed as she grabbed her shirt and slipped it on over her tank top.

"Tsunade!" Raiden whined as if he was tattling on Sakura.

"She is fine to leave." Tsunade said washing her hands.

"What!?" Raiden and Naruto overreacted. "But-But she-"

"Is stable, she just reopened a few stitches." Tsunade smiled, "She will be fine."

"Thank you." Sakura sighed,

"But you should take it easy." Tsunade added causing Sakura to glare.

"Come on!" Raiden bounced, "Tsunade said Sakura was fine, let's go!"

"Why is he so eager?" Sakura muttered to Carver,

"There is a festival tonight." Carver answered, "You would know that if you had been back when you said you would be." Sakura glared as Carver walked past her, Sakura rolled her eyes. She followed the group of men to the apartment they were crashing in. Sakura ignored everyone as she moved to the bedroom to take a shower. Naruto and Sasuke left to change, Carver took a seat beside Kakashi who did not leave.

"So..." Carver said, Kakashi looked up from his book.

"Hm?" He wondered.

"You have feelings for her?" Carver cut to the point, The two men stared at each other for a moment,

"Yes." Kakashi answered.

"So you fucking that woman in your apartment was...?"

"A mistake." Kakashi answered. Carver nodded,

"I see..." Carver nodded, "And you'll...you'll-" Carver didn't like this, it felt like he was giving away his little sister. He never had to do the big brother thing before,

"I will take care of her." Kakashi said reading Carver's expression.

"I will kill you if you don't." Carver threatened.

"I think she would beat you to it." Kakashi smiled,

"You are right." Carver laughed with Kakashi.

"What are we talking about?" Raiden wondered sitting down with a bowl of chips.

"Nothing..." Carver smiled, glancing at Kakashi who went back to reading. After Sakura took a quick shower and changed into clean clothing, she walked out into the living room. Kakashi leaned back getting a better view as she moved to set her phone on the table. Sakura wore black jeans with a few rips in them, a white shirt that was tucked in with a black jacket placed over it. Her hair was braided off to the side. This was the first time Kakashi saw Sakura wearing makeup. 

"Well don't you look like a female." Carver teased,

"Mhm." Sakura hummed, quickly shooting a text to Dawn. "We all can't be naturally feminine like you Carver."

"Wha-Hey!" Carver snapped around as Raiden laughed. "I am masculine!"

"Okie." Sakura said walking to the couch, she took the only seat open which was beside Kakashi. 

"So..." Raiden trailed off, "-how was the River Village?"

"Or like any of the two weeks that you were gone?" Carver added sounding salty.

"And you wanna explain how you got that?" Raiden motioned to his face meaning the cut on Sakura's cheek. Sakura took in a breath and leaned back, why was she happy to be here again?

"The River Village was fine; William and Arabella say hi. The antidote isn't ready yet, but I was told they are making great progress." Kakashi shifted in his seat, as he did his leg brushed against Sakura's.

"How long were you there for?" Carver wondered,

"Two days." Sakura answered not seeing the trap, she was too focused on Kakashi's knee against hers.

"Then where the hell were you!?" Carver and Raiden yelled together.

"Mm." Sakura didn't like the loud noise, their voices carried. "If Diem told you why I do I have to repeat myself?"

"Because I don't believe shit when Diem is the one talking." Carver said, "I don't like him."

"Not this again." Sakura sighed,

"Why don't you like him?" Kakashi looked up from his book.

"Well anyway-" Sakura called, not wanting to hear this story for the millionth time.

"I'll tell you later." Carver whispered to Kakashi.

"-I went to the Waterfall Village to check on things." Sakura said rubbing her face feeling hungry.

"Why!?" Carver asked, "The whole reason you are here in this village is because you wouldn't be inside that fucking village!"

"Is that how you got that cut?" Raiden asked, not liking it on her fair face.

"No." Sakura sighed.

"Oh-" Carver laughed, "-So you got it at the Reapers camp which you burnt down!"

"Um." Kakashi looked up, "What?" He asked turning to Sakura.

"Yeah!" Carver yelled, "Your girlfriend decided to take off with her second Commander and ambush a fucking reapers camp alone!"

"Carver-" Sakura warned, her heart fluttering from being called Kakashi's girlfriend. "-I couldn't just-"

"You could have. You are the one who taught me you always have a choice. You should have called me, we would have come and backed you up."

"I'm here-"

"Carver's right." Kakashi answered, shocking everyone in the room. "It was reckless of you to go into that camp knowing you have that poison in your system."

"I am not a child." Sakura said looking into Kakashi's eye. "I don't need to be told what I can and can't do-"

"We are not trying to control what you do." Kakashi said, reaching over placing his hand over hers. "We just want you to come home at the end of the day."

"I always do." Sakura sighed,

"Until you don't." Kakashi said, "You can't be mad at us for being worried."

"Yes, I can." Sakura smiled, Kakashi chuckled. Raiden was looking back and forth between Kakashi who has not removed his hand and then to Sakura.

"I am so excited for food!" Carver stretched, "Naruto said the food during these festivals is fantastic!"

"I am starving!" Raiden giggled, feeling excited.

"Speaking of food, where is Naruto?" Carver wondered,

"Hm?" Raiden noticed Naruto hadn't popped over. "I don't-" Raiden said as the front door open.

"Who is ready for food!?" Naruto jumped in sight; his arms extended out in the air.

"Speak of the devil." Carver muttered turning to the people on the couch.

"Are we ready!?" Naruto asked, getting very excited.

"Yes." Raiden sighed pulling himself up. "Calm yourself, you look like your about to piss yourself."

"I am excited!" Naruto jumped, "This is yours and Raiden's first festival and the first one with Sakura back in the village!"

"Eh..." Sakura trailed off,

"What?" Naruto asked. "You don't want to come...?" His big blue eyes losing their shine

"You're a monster." Raiden whispered to her causing her to groan. Sakura stood along with Kakashi.

"I don't know how excited your friends are going to be to see me..." Sakura trailed off.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." Carver answered for her, "Maybe because the last time they seen her she kind of kicked their asses?"

"Well yeah but..." Naruto smiled after a second. "...we needed that kick in the ass to realize there were a lot of things we needed improvement on. Everyone knows that now and everyone is training hard and getting stronger!" Sakura turned to Carver,

"It's true, they don't suck as hard." Carver said with a shrug.

"Come on!" Naruto said walking over and taking Sakura's hand. "You're coming!" Naruto dragged Sakura out of the apartment building and into the chilly streets of the leaf village. Naruto and the others reached the festival. Carver and Raiden looked around at all the bright shiny lights.

"Pretty." Raiden said, "Ok!" He clapped his hands. "What are we eating first?!"

"Everything is good, so I am up for anything!" Naruto smiled,

"Sakura what do you want-where the hell did you get that!?" Raiden asked as Sakura pulled a beer to her lips.

"Huh?" She asked turning to them.

"We literally just got here." Carver said.

"I'm hungry." Sakura said walking towards a pizza stand.

"Wait for us!" Raiden pulled Naruto and Carver.

"I have legs!" Carver complained.

"Good for you?" Raiden said causing Naruto to laugh. Sakura got a burger and fries, she sat at an empty picnic table waiting for the others to get their food.

"Sakura?" TenTen walked up to the pinkette. Sakura looked over with a mouth full of fries.

"Mm?" She asked not expecting anyone to talk to her.

"Thank you." TenTen said.

"Huh?" Sakura missed something...

"You were right." TenTen said, "Your training really improved my aim and I am sorry I fought you." Sakura looked at TenTen and then to the bottle of beer in front of her, was she already drunk?

"Er...your welcome?" Sakura said slowly.

"There is this issue I have been having, my kunai's have been curving and I don't know what I am doing wrong?" TenTen said, Sakura nodded standing.

"You want me to show you?"

"Now?" TenTen squeaked.

"Unless you're busy-"

"No!" TenTen smiled, "That would be great!"

"Let's go." Sakura nodded, grabbing her burger and drink. It took a full ten minutes for Carver and Naruto to get all the food they wanted, they each had an arm full of food as they waddled their way to the table, they thought Sakura had sat down at.

"Huh?" Naruto looked around at all the people.

"I thought she went this way?" Carver said looking around. "What the fuck!?" Carver yelled; he knew she would bail!

"If you're looking for Sakura, she went to the training grounds." Sasuke came into view.

"Wha-Huh?" Raiden said, "Why the fuck would she go there?" He asked looking at Naruto.

"I don't know." Carver sighed running his hand through his hair, "Let's go fetch her." Team seven, Carver and Raiden made their way to the training grounds. Kakashi's heart skipped hearing Sakura's laugh.

"If she is talking to Dawn-" Carver threatened as they reached the grounds. Sakura was laughing as TenTen smiled, with Hinata sitting on the ground watching.

"Huh?" Carver and Raiden said feeling confused. TenTen picked up another kunai and tossed it, hitting the target in the heart.

"Yes!" TenTen jumped turning to Sakura and hugged her. "Thank you! It was driving me insane!"

"Yeah." Sakura smiled, turning her head and seeing the five men looking at her with confused and twisted faces making Sakura laugh. "What are you doing here?" She asked them.

"What-What the fuck you mean?!" Raiden stomped, "We were hanging out and you vanished!"

"I was helping TenTen."

"There is no training today!" Raiden said, "This is a fun day, when do we get to have fun?"

"Calm down." Sakura said reaching down to get her beer. "We were just about to head back; I want more food anyway."

"I wanna eat." Raiden stated as Sakura walked up to them.

"Then eat?" Sakura said shaking her head, she turned back to the two women. "Are you coming?" She asked, Hinata and TenTen jumped up.

"Yes!" TenTen said as Hinata followed. Naruto and Raiden settled down at a table and began their feasts while Sakura and Hinata stood in line at a food stand.

"How have you been?" Sakura asked out of the blue.

"Uh-Uh-" Hinata was taken back.

"Carver and Raiden tell me you impressed them during their training." Sakura said looking at the menu,

"They-They did?" Hinata asked,

"Yeah."

"Th-Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me for anything, that was all you." Sakura smiled at her, Hinata quickly looked to her feet blushing.

"Well...I guess..." Hinata trailed off.

"You have grown into an outstanding shinobi." Sakura said, "That is something to hold your head high about." Hinata looked at Sakura and nodded. Sakura and Hinata rejoined their group, Sakura stood for a moment and watched Naruto and Raiden shovel food in their mouths, reminding her of the hungry hungry hippo game she used to play as a kid. Konoha Eleven had joined the table as Sakura sat beside Neji, Lee and Guy were running around the table hyped up on sugar.

"So Sakura-" Kiba smiled over his chili fries, "Where have you been?"

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Just curious." Kiba shrugged.

"You were gone for a while." Choji tried to speak with a mouth full of food, "Then you show back up with that-" Choji said poking to his cheek.

"How about you guys not put her on the stand?" TenTen crossed her arms,

"We're not!" Choji quickly said, "We are just wondering where she-"

"The Waterfall Village." Sakura cut in, "That's where I have been."

"Why?" Kiba asked tossing food to Akamaru. "I thought you were here to like protect us...?"

"Your safe." Sakura said, nodding her head over to Carver and Raiden. "They were here when I was not."

"Yeah fucking leave us out of all the fun!" Raiden looked up from his food to lightly glare at Sakura.

"What?" Neji asked,

"Sakura wasn't just inside the Waterfall Village. She and her second in command decided to go raid a Reapers camp and burn it to the ground!" Raiden poked at Sakura. "Rude."

"You-You did what!?" TenTen gasped, Sakura shrugged.

"That's-" Raiden said to Choji "-how she got this." Raiden poked to his own cheek. Sakura didn't understand the issue, it was a simple cut.

"So dramatic." Sakura muttered finishing the bottle in front of her.

"We are not!" Kiba said, "Burning down a village is like-"

"A normal Tuesday in her world." Carver countered, everyone watched as Sakura rose to her feet and left the table with a sigh to get another drink. It was hard for Sakura to open up, she licked her lips as she stood in line. What was she even doing here? She should be standing guard staring out into the forest and waiting, hanging out with people she thought she would never see again was just going to end up backfiring.

"Sakura!" Hinata smiled, reaching Haruno's side.

"Hinata?"

"You move so quickly!" Hinata giggled, "I tried to catch up."

"Oh, sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about!" Hinata waved off, feeling a little more comfortable around Sakura. "So...what are we doing?"

"I am just getting another drink." Sakura answered.

"Oh!"

"Yeah, I feel like I am going to need them." Sakura smirked.

"Are you still hungry?" Hinata asked,

"Hm, not really. Why?"

"Do you still have room for some sweets?" Hinata asked nervously playing with her fingers, Sakura smiled.

"There's always room for sweets." Sakura joked as the two women got another round of adult beverages, they moved towards a food truck that was lit up with the rainbow and smelt of sugar. 

"What should we get!?" Hinata blushed feeling happy.

"That." Sakura smiled, pointing to a loaded elephant ear that was a mountain of sugar.

Kakashi and Carver kept glancing behind them, wondering what was taking Sakura so long to return. The two men glanced at each other; Carver sighed looking behind him again.

"She is fine." Raiden said reading Carver's face.

"I know." Carver said still looking behind him.

"Who is fine?" Neji asked,

"Sakura." Raiden answered,

"Why is she fine?" Choji wondered.

"Carver is worried, Sakura reopened a few stitches."

"How did she do that?" Kiba muttered,

"Because she is reckless and has little regard for herself." Carver scrunched his face annoyed.

"I get that vibe from her." Choji nodded.

"Really?" Kiba asked, "Because the vibe I get is she mind fucks my head without my consent." The table erupted in laughter, Kakashi breathed seeing Sakura walk around the nearby food cart with Hinata beside her.

"What the fuck?" Carver asked watching the two women sit down.

"What is that?" Raiden lit up seeing the kids dream on a plate sitting in front of her.

"Diabetes to go." Carver answered watching Sakura ignore them as she ate it with delight.

"Kakashi!" Guy ran around the table. "How about we have a little contest!? We haven't had one in a long time!"

"I am training right now, I can't." Kakashi answered not looking up from his book.

"Huh?" Guy blinked, "How-How are you training right now!? You're just reading that perverted book!"

"It's called imaginary training." Kakashi glanced up catching Sakura's eyes, shivers ran down her spine as she quickly looked down at her treat. Raiden perked up,

"Sakura-!"

"NO!" Carver shut down Raiden's thought process.

"What?" Raiden pouted, "I didn't even get to finish-"

"I know what you were going to try and say and I will not be babysitting anyone tonight."

"And people say I am the hard ass." Sakura muttered.

"What was that?" Carver turned.

"Nothing." Sakura shrugged leaning on her arm. "You're being a little bit of a buzzkill-"

"I am not!" Carver snapped.

"Ha, okie. I am getting another drink." Sakura laughed, Kakashi watched as Sakura's mischievous side sparked in her eyes. "You want me to pull that stick out of your ass while I am up?"

"Haruno!" Carver shouted as Sakura walked away laughing, Raiden bounced as he followed her.

"Sakura!" Raiden yelled trying to catch up. "Where you going?" Raiden asked, Sakura turned to look at him and a smile played on her lips as she nodded over to the beer tent. Raiden lit up, "I am so going to win tonight!" He pointed as the two changed their direction, Raiden wrapped an arm around Sakura as he laughed.

"How was your guy's day off?" Kiba asked Carver, he felt bad now knowing Carver and Raiden who had been training them for weeks had been taking a toll on them.

"Not bad." He shrugged.

"What did you guys do?" Kiba tried to keep the conversation going.

"Er...I don't know." Carver laughed.

"I didn't see you at the training grounds today." Lee said,

"You know we do other things too." Carver chuckled, "We don't just sit around all day counting each other's abs waiting to train."

"We-We know!" Kiba blushed. Carver laughed at Kiba's uncomfortable face when Carver's head snapped around.

"What?" Naruto asked feeling alarmed.

"That voice." Carver stood.

"You hear a voice!?" Naruto felt alarmed as he looked around.

"The fucking music!" Carver said,

"Uh...yeah?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "It's music."

"That's Raiden-" Carver cut himself hearing a female. "-and that's Sakura." Carver didn't give any detail as he spun around running. The group at the picnic table quickly followed suit, Carver ran until he passed the beer tent and skittles to a halt. Naruto ran into him,

"What-?" Naruto followed Carver's gaze towards the stage that was set up beside the beer tent. Raiden was on stage jumping to the beat of the music as he sang into the mic in his hand. Naruto's mouth dropped open seeing Sakura was beside him, a mic in her hand as she sang along with him. "Wha-?" Naruto and the leaf shinobi were stunned. Watching Sakura jump beside Raiden to the beat of the song was not something they thought she would do; it was so out of character for her.

(Song - The Other Side - Jason Derulo, Keke Palmer, Max Schneider, Kurt Schneider)

Naruto and the others moved closer, joining the crowd who were dancing in front of the stage. They pushed themselves into the front. Naruto's mouth hung open taking in yet another side of Sakura. The Sakura he once knew would never do this, would never pick up a mic or get on a stage. Sakura and Raiden danced together and laughed. Naruto made eye contact with Sakura, who nodded for him to get on stage. Without another thought Naruto jumped on, he stood beside Sakura who laughed at his shocked expression, his heart pounding in his chest seeing a more playful side to her. Sakura walked over to the DJ and grabbed an extra mic for Naruto. His eyes were wide as all he could do was stare in disbelief, this had to be the food coma he was in. Sakura wrapped an arm around Naruto and placed him in between herself and Raiden. It took Naruto a moment to pull the mic to his lips and slowly joined in.

Naruto felt over joyed, he didn't know what to do with this Sakura. Normally she was cold and kept everyone at a distance. Naruto was honestly scared to touch her, but now here they were. Naruto had an arm around Sakura as they danced.

Raiden lightly tapped Sakura and nodded to Naruto, Sakura grinned reading Raiden's intentions.

Sasuke perked up from the crowd, thinking they were going to do something to embarrass Naruto. Sakura and Raiden stopped singing and backed up a foot to give him the spot light, Naruto looked back at them as he heard himself sing alone in the song. Naruto watched a full smile bloom on Sakura's face as her eyes shined,

(Naruto Solo - 2:38 )

"Go." Sakura waved; Naruto turned forward his heart pounding so loud in his ears he could barely hear the music. After Naruto's small solo Sakura and Raiden jumped back into the song, jumping to the beat of the music.

Tsunade smiled, leaning against a tree with a beer in her hand. She watched Sakura dance and sing.

"She's amazing." Shizune breathed standing beside Tsunade.

"She sure is." Tsunade agreed with a nod, Sakura had the crowd in the palm of her hand without even trying. Tsunade grinned seeing all the people dancing together. Once the song came to an end the crowd broke into applause. Sakura looked over at Naruto who looked to be over the moon.

"You did great." Sakura called over the music that continued to beat.

"I don't know about that!" Raiden said laughing holding three small shots. "You should have seen your face when we stopped singing!" He laughed handing each of them a shot.

"What is this?" Naruto asked looking into the shot glass.

"A tradition." Raiden explained.

"You don't have to." Sakura said looking at Naruto, who shook his head.

"I just want to make sure you weren't drugging me!" He joked, Raiden laughed and held his drink up they all said cheers and downed the shot. Naruto gagged at the taste, he looked around for a drink of fresh water. He stopped and looked at Sakura, who was drinking a beer laughing at something Hinata had said to her.

"It is a chaser." Raiden said holding one out to Naruto, he nodded and took it and drank a mouth full.

"Ugh! It tastes worse than that shot!" Naruto scrunched his face as shivers ran down his back.

"You guys were amazing!" TenTen yelled,

"Thank you!" Raiden said, pretending to flip hair over his shoulder. Sakura turned seeing Hinata blushing as he stared at Naruto who was too busy watching the people around him to notice her. People were now getting on stage, dancing and singing to the new song playing. Sakura weaved through the crowd, she lightly pushed Naruto at the same time tipping his bottle over. Sakura smiled watching Naruto collide with Hinata as his bottled beer spilt onto her.

"I-I am so sorry!" Naruto yelled, looking down at Hinata's wet chest as he begins to blush madly. Sakura stood off to the side watching Naruto take Hinata's hand telling her he would help her clean up.

"It-It's fine Naruto, I can-"

"No, it's not. It would be rude of me to not help!" Naruto said being a gentleman. Hinata looked back at Sakura who gave her a thumbs up.

"Ok cupid." TenTen said over Sakura shoulder causing her to laugh. "Find me a man now!"

"Ok." Sakura turned her head, "Go stand next to Neji and I'll have him spill something on you."

"What-What!?" TenTen's voice got high. "I-I don't want him-"

"Mhm." Sakura said as TenTen's face turned red, TenTen spun and quickly got away. Sakura chuckled as she made her way off the stage feeling it was getting a little too crowded. Sakura looked up, seeing a masked shinobi standing in front of her. Her heart fluttered as she walked over to him.

"That was impressive." Kakashi said watching her walk up to him.

"Not really." Sakura brushed off the compliment as she kept her gaze away from him. Kakashi reached out, lifting her chin to look at him.

"It was, you look beautiful to night by the way." Kakashi smiled under his mask, gazing into her emerald eyes. Sakura melted against his touch, she breathed hating how when she looked at him, she felt like all she will ever need in this world was standing before her. She hated how remembering his face was so easy almost like how breathing was. It burnt her that it so hard to ignore him, Sakura looked back at his masked face. She hated this man. "I got you a drink." Kakashi said, holding out a red cup.

"...Thanks." Sakura said slowly, taking it from him.

"Will you come with me?" Kakashi asked holding his hand out, Sakura looked from it then to him. Her arm moved on its own as it placed itself in his grasp. Sakura pulled her lips together as tingles from his touch ran up her arm and caused her heart to trip over itself.


	19. Chapter 19

Kakashi's hand wrapped around mine felt so safe as he led me away from the festival laced with people. We were silent and I watched the surroundings as we moved away from the crowd into a wooded area. A small pond reflected the moonlight, I liked how peaceful it felt. Kakashi stopped walking letting go of my hand as he turned to face me. He moved in closing the space between us, I watched in amazement as he pulled his mask down letting it rest on his chin. My pulse quickens, I don't think I could ever get used to seeing his face. Kakashi took the last two steps to reach me, he was quick as he leaned down wrapping his arms around me and placed his lips against mine.

I wasn't expecting this, it took me a moment to realize what was happening. Kakashi's hand rested along my jaw as he tilted my head. My eyes fluttered closed as my hands reached out around him. I felt heat building inside me slowly, the longer Kakashi kissed me the more I wanted him in ways I have never wanted another person. Kakashi's tongue slid into my mouth so easily, I hated how that made my stomach roll as more pressure built up in between my legs. His tongue tasted like whiskey and coke. Kakashi's free hand explored my body, his fingers brushed along my side moving onto my stomach. Pain erupted from the fresh stitches that were sown into my flesh. I pulled away from his kiss as I hissed out.

"Sakura!?" Kakashi sounded concerned as his arms wrapped around me almost like a cocoon trying to keep me safe from the world around us. "What-" Kakashi cut himself off looking down at my side, "I'm sorry I didn't-"

"It's fine." I said as my hypersensitive skin began to relax.

"Are you ok?" Kakashi asked ignoring my statement, I looked up into his eye.

"I'm fine, I am just a little sore." I brushed it off,

Kakashi's look told me he didn't buy it, his gaze moved away from my eyes and onto my face. Kakashi's thumb brushed the area underneath the cut on my cheek. His eyes were soft, I didn't know what to say. I don't think I have had a real meaningful conversation with Kakashi before. We were rarely alone, hell I was rarely ever alone.

"We were all inside your apartment-" Kakashi said out of the blue, he brushed my hair behind my ear. "-when Raiden began to panic, Carver had texted him and said you were in the hospital because you were hurt."

"I'm not hurt-" I sighed feeling annoyed. Kakashi's lips curved into a smile, his gaze reflected the moonlight as he looked into my eyes.

"I was terrified." He said.

"Why?" I didn't understand. Kakashi cupped the right side of my face.

"I sat beside you waiting for you to wake up after you were ambushed inside the Iron Village."

"Kakashi-" I turned my head I didn't want to think about the iron village, I didn't want to recall those hellish moments.

"The thought of you being hurt again-" Kakashi smiled, lightly shaking his head. "-scared me to my core."

"I am ok-" I said touching his chest I could feel his heartbeat, it was so fast.

"You're a hard woman to get alone." Kakashi chuckled, I felt a hard surface on my back. Kakashi had me pinned against another tree; I was beginning to think he had a thing for nature.

"Tell me about it." I muttered making him smile which made my stupid heart feel warm and fuzzy.

"I knew what I wanted to say but now..." Kakashi trailed off searching my face, as if he was trying to memorize its features.

"Say what?" I asked.

"You vanished for two weeks, I never know when or where you're going to be. You can be halfway across the world in a second. After this is all over-" He said, "-I want you to remember that there is a reason for you to come back to this village."

"And what would that reason be?" I asked, Kakashi leaned in placing a soft kiss on me.

"Me." He whispered against my lips before engulfing me into his kiss, my heart was flipping in circle not understanding what to do as I kissed him back, my arms reached up around his neck pulling me into him and he pulled me into his chest. A rush of heat ignited inside my chest and quickly spread throughout my body. Kakashi's hand was in my hair, I felt him running his hand through the strands undoing my braid. His free hand was softly on my lower back keeping me pressed up against his body. I felt myself begin to unravel as I leaned against Kakashi. He gripped a fistful of my hair lightly pulling my head back in order to deepen the passionate kiss.

Large bangs echoed in the nighttime sky; my eyes flew open as I felt my body move away from Kakashi. I opened my eyes and saw a large empty field, tan dirt and decaying buildings was all I could see as far as my eyes would allow me. Fire erupted all around as people screamed my name. Gun fire echoed to my right as I could see charred bodies lying on the earth defeated. I could taste the gunpowder in the air as my shoulders ached from my missions' bag. I looked at the ground holding my head feeling bullets flying past it.

"Sakura?" I jumped feeling a hand on my shoulder. I snapped up and saw Kakashi looking at me worried. My heart was pounding as I felt myself sweat as I was taking in large breaths. Another round of loud echoed filled the air, my body tensed as I almost dropped for cover. "They're fireworks!" Kakashi's voice called out to me, I felt his hands on my body, but I snapped away from his grip. I couldn't...I didn't want him to see this piece of me. I felt a need to shelter him, I couldn't allow myself to unravel with him because I was too dark, and I didn't want to break him. "Hey-" Kakashi cupped both sides of my face but I fought against his grip.

"I-" I needed to get away from him.

"Sakura-!" Kakashi fought back, wrapping his arms around me as he pulled me into a tight embrace. I knew I needed to fight, but my body melted against him. My face was hidden into his neck and he hugged me tighter when more fireworks lit up the sky. "It's ok." He whispered against my hair as I felt him kiss the top of my head. "I'm right here." I closed my eyes, breathing in his familiar scent as I listened to his quickened heartbeat.

Kakashi turned hearing footsteps running towards us. I opened my eyes seeing Kakashi's masked face, I turned to see Raiden had ran into the opening where we stood. He and I locked eyes as another firework was shot off, he and I jumped at the sound showing the effects of war. Raiden bolted after I blinked, I took in a breath looking up at Kakashi whose eyes were swirling with a pained expression. Maybe he was realizing that I was just to damaged and he made a mistake.

"Oh!" Carver's voice turned me to look at him. "We are going to be talking about this." He pointed between Kakashi and me. I cast back in the direction Raiden ran and cursed under my breath. I stepped out of Kakashi's grip as I felt my eyes flicker into their familiar Christmas wreath.

"They went this way!" Naruto came running into sight, this was the last thing I needed.

"Do you know where he went?" Carver ignored everyone as I searched the village for Raiden's chakra.

"The apartment." I saw turning to Carver who jumped the same moment I did we left the leaf shinobi in our tracks. I moved faster than Carver as I vanished from sight and reappeared inside the apartment. I quickly scanned around for him, I heard muffled cries as another round of fireworks hit the sky. I jogged into the bedroom, I quickly lowered to the ground grumping at the pain in my body. Raiden was under the bed; tears filled his large eyes as he was ripped out of this apartment and thrown back onto a battle ground that we could never escape.

"Raiden." I breathed, Raiden couldn't hear me as he was trying to move farther under the bed, but he was a large man he didn't fit very well.

"Raiden!?" Carver yelled finally reaching the apartment.

"Raiden." I breathed, gasping at the pain from laying on the side that was just stitched back up. "It's ok." I reached my hand out.

"Sakura!" Carver moved into the bedroom, but I heard more than just him coming into the room. I had to ignored them as I bit my jaw as I moved under the bed.

"Hey." I called to him, reached out and grabbed his hand. He screamed, thrashing and landing a hit on my jaw. My head was thrown back, and my eyesight went black for a moment.

"Sakura!" I heard Naruto; footsteps moved towards us causing Raiden to whimper.

"Stay back!" I ordered, reaching back out. "Raiden, hey." I said, "I'm right here, everything is fine-"

"No-No!" Raiden held his head,

"Raiden its ok, they are just fireworks." I explained,

"I-I-I can't." He cried. "I can't." He repeated as tears dripped down his face like a steady stream.

"I know." I breathed, setting my head on the floor watching him for a second. I grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly. "It's ok, you're inside the Leaf Village."

"No-No." Raiden breathed.

"Yes." I said, "You are inside the Leaf Village, you were at a festival when they shot off fireworks. Remember you were with Naruto and Carver?"

"Leaf-Leaf..." Raiden breathed, I nodded trying to shift off my side. It felt like I had a colony of pissed off fire ants crawling around on my skin biting me.

"Yeah." I said, "Can you come out from under-"

"No!" Raiden quickly scurried back. "I can't-" Raiden held his head,

"You can, because we are inside the Leaf Village. We are not on a battle ground right now." I reasoned with him.

"I can't move, can't feel anything." Raiden whispered; I gripped his hand harder.

"Do you feel that?" I asked.

"N-No. I-I don't know." He cried as he drifted between two realities.

"Yes, you do Raiden do you feel my hand?"

"Y-Yeah." Raiden sniffed. "But I c-can't move...not-not ready."

"That's fine." I shrugged, "We can stay here until you are ready." I laid waiting for Raiden as I continued to talk to him. My side was burning, my jaw now ached from getting punched by Raiden and my chest felt tight. Needless to say, I was ready for bed and for today to be over. Carver sat at the foot of the bed on the ground as he waited with me. I held Raiden's hand as I wondered where Kakashi was, I wanted to hide all my broken pieces from him but failed miserably. I supposed it was for the best, I hated how my heart ached at the thought of letting him go. I cleared my throat and pushed my thoughts of him out of the way hearing a rumbling coming from Raiden. "Are you hungry?" I asked.

"No." He muttered.

"You wanna eat fast food and watch movies?" I smiled seeing the light return to his eyes as he perked up.

"What movie?"

"Whatever movie you pick." I said, Raiden nodded and slowly started to move. I hissed at the pain in my stomach as I struggled to move so Raiden could get out from under the bed. I felt two arms wrap around my torso and lift me up with ease. I looked behind me, about to thank Carver when I saw he was still standing at the end of the bed. I turned feeling the color drain from my face seeing his masked face. I turned back and watched Raiden crawl into sight, I was going to reach down and help him but Kakashi stopped me. I watched as he placed himself in front of me stopping me from leaning forward. Carver moved and helped Raiden up, he shot me a look I didn't understand as he took Raiden out of the bedroom.

"What are you-" I cut myself off looking away from his gaze.

"Did you really think I wasn't going to follow?" He questioned with one hand inside his pants pocket and the other holding a phone as he was texting.

"Why do you have my phone?" I asked.

"You left it here." Kakashi answered, Naruto did drag me out of the apartment before I could grab it.

"That doesn't answer my question." I shook my head.

"I realized I didn't have your number." Kakashi said, looking up at me and handed my phone to me. He had put his number in my phone and texted himself.

"Why-"

"I couldn't talk to you the two weeks you were gone." Kakashi answered as he walked into my space, he leaned down close enough I could smell his scent my knees felt weak. "I didn't like it." He whispered, my eyes closed feeling him brush his nose over my skin.

"Why are you-" My brain was like a scrambled egg. Kakashi chucked he reached out placing his hands on my hips.

"Did you think that would scare me away?" Kakashi asked, "It would be weirder if you didn't have PTSD."

"Huh?" I asked,

"Tsunade did some asking around about you." Kakashi answered, "We heard a lot of war stories about you, Reaper." I didn't like when Kakashi called me that and I know my face showed it. "I'm sorry-" He chuckled in my ear, "-would you rather I call you baby-"

"Um-!?" I gulped feeling myself blush, I hated blushing and I hated him. I heard someone walk into the room,

"Sakura-?" It was Raiden, I sighed feeling my body was running out of energy and wanted to sleep for three days.

"I am-" I said turning to walk to him, but Kakashi once again placed himself in front of my path.

"She is busy right now." Kakashi said, turning his head to look in Raiden's direction. "She will be out there soon."

"Um...ok" Raiden nodded and slowly turned to leave. I took a step to follow him, Raiden couldn't be alone he needed to me but once again Kakashi got in my fucking way.

"Who the hell-" I glared up into his masked face.

"I respect that you are devoted to your teammates, that you put them before yourself. I understand Raiden just had an episode but so did you."

"That doesn't-"

"It does mean something; it means you need a moment where you're not constantly keeping others together."

"Who the fuck are you-"

"How about I get you something to eat?" He smiled under that stupid mask, I wanted to hit him. "We can watch that zombie show you love so much."

"I don't have time for that." I shook my head walking around him, Kakashi wrapped an arm around me swingin me back to face him.

"Raiden and Carver lean on you." Kakashi stated,

"Yeah?"

"Who do you have to lean on?" Kakashi questioned.

"I don't need someone to lean on." I said, "I don't have the time to collapse and break down like they can."

"Sakura, you are human."

"What kind of leader would I be if I broke down every time a firework went off?"

"You don't have to be a leader every second of every day." Kakashi said,

"It doesn't switch off and on." I shook my head, "You don't get to pick and choose."

"You don't have to be strong when I am here." Kakashi cupped my face, "You don't have to protect yourself and keep your walls up when it's me."

"There are no walls." I breathed.

"What?" Kakashi appeared confused.

"What you see when you look at me are not walls that I put to keep me safe." I chuckled, "I don't get that luxury."

"I don't understand."

"You see the remains of what war does to a person." I thought Kakashi of all people would know the look a person gives off when they have seen more than what one person should. Kakashi licked his full lips gazing down onto me as he slid his mask down, studying me as if I was a fucking sight to see. I sighed knowing he was searching for the little girl he once knew.

"Stop." I breathed feeling disgusted, how could he look at me with that lust flavored look while my lipstick was still smudged on his lips? Whether or not I agreed with it I was once his student. "Stop searching for her." I couldn't look at him, not when he was looking for a person who could no longer exist inside what I had become. His voice sent shivers through my body; I hated this man with a burning passion.

"Sakura-" His hot breath fanned my neck as he leaned forward, I shivered at the touch of his lips against my neck. "-I stopped searching the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Huh-Huh?" I asked, feeling his lips trail to my ear.

"In case you didn't know, I'm crazy about you." My heart stopped as he stood up, taking my hand in his and walked out of the bedroom. There was a movie playing the living room was dark, and everyone was laying around. The couch was open, Kakashi placed me on it as my brain tried to kick start itself. Carver glanced up; Raiden was asleep tucked in his side lightly snoring.

"You ok?" Carver asked drawing my attention, I nodded without words. Naruto and Sasuke were also on the floor asleep. Kakashi sat on the couch beside me as Carver turned to stare at the TV screen. I leaned on the arm of the couch biting my bottom lip. I could feel his presence beside me, it pulled at me demanding attention.

I didn't want to do this, I moved to get up. I didn't want to be near him, I didn't have the energy to put into my emotions which were thrown all over the damn place. Kakashi grabbed my wrist, he pulled me off my feet as I landed beside him and the back of the couch. I looked up to see his eye lit up looking amused I tried to sit up, but he held me against him. Kakashi reached up, placing a finger against his lips telling me to be quiet, everyone was asleep. I huffed as he covered both of us up with a blanket, he turned the movie that had ended onto the show that I had liked. With my head on his chest and his arm tightly around me I felt no strength to move. The movie played for three minutes before my eyes shut on their own.

\----

"It is chilly!" I turned seeing Naruto was walking towards me, a blanket around his arms. I sighed watching him move to sit beside me on the roof of the apartment building.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked him.

"That was supposed to be my question." Naruto smiled. I turned forward, returning to gazing around at the leaf village. "Everything ok?" Naruto asked, when I didn't respond he huffed. Naruto didn't like being ignored. "So...it's been a crazy day." Naruto was trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah..." I said, wishing I could let this conversation die. "Naruto?" I asked looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"If I left Raiden here...would you watch out for him?"

"You know I would. Are you leaving again?"

"No." I shrugged, "Not that I know of."

"Then what do you mean leave him here?" I looked at Naruto with a pointed look, I watched it click through his eyes.

"You think he can't fight anymore!" He gasped,

"Naruto-" I tried to explain.

"No!" He cut me off. "How can you even think that about him?! Just because he had a small melt down doesn't mean he can't fight!" His logic was almost cute.

"It's not if he can fight, it's should he keep fighting." I corrected him.

"What?" He was dumbfounded, which was to be expected. He lived a sheltered apple pie life.

"You don't know yet, you probably won't understand until you become Hokage and until have people looking at you to lay out every detail for them. As a leader you need to know when your soldier can no longer fight. I'm not saying Raiden can't anymore, he was one of the bests. He has talent but he's burnt out. I saw that today-" I said, "-and Carver isn't far behind him."

"But..."

"I already talked to Carver; he wants to stay here inside this village after the Reapers are taken down. I am sure Raiden would agree if I asked him." I said, Naruto smiled liking the fact Carver and Raiden wanted to call this place home. "If I leave them here, I need to know they will be ok."

"You know they will." Naruto answered. "But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you going to stay too?" He perked up but shook my head no. "Why not?!" He whined.

"I am the Commander of another village Naruto." I smiled, "I shouldn't even be here right now."

"Your waiting for the-" Naruto reasoned but I shook my head.

"That was what I told myself." I said,

"What do you mean?"

"It means...I was looking for a reason to explain why I wanted to be here. I am not only here because the Reapers want something from this village."

"Then...Then why are you here?"

"You-" I said, "-Kakashi and this village."

"Sakura..." Naruto breathed. "Then why don't you stay?"

"I don't belong here."

"Yes, you do!"

"Naruto..." I sighed,

"From the stories I have heard about you, you have been doing this a lot longer than Raiden and Carver combined you have to be just as burnt out as they are! You can stay here with us!"

"That isn't how this story will play out."

"Why not!?"

"Because I belong inside the Waterfall Village, I am their Commander. I built that village from the ground up."

"But this is your home."

"That may be, but it wouldn't be safe for me to remain here."

"You know we would fight anything that came through those gates for you!" Naruto made me smile, he was cute a little dim like a broken lightbulb but cute.

"I heard you spent the night with Hinata?" I switched the topic, Naruto blushed five shades pinker than my hair.

"I-I well I spilt stuff on her, so I had to make sure she was ok!"

"Mhm." I hummed,

"And she told me that you're the one who pushed me!" I grinned at Naruto's face.

"So, are you going to see her again?" I asked, Naruto looked forward not looking me in the eye.

"Tomorrow." He answered making me laugh,

"Was that so bad?" I teased.

"What about you?" A sly smile spread across Naruto's face, I sighed...here we go.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I answered.

"Oh come on!" Naruto snickered. "Your telling me there is no one you're interested in?" He was trying to lead me into a trap.

"Nope." I answered.

"Really?"

"Mhm." I hummed.

"Well that is the biggest lie I have heard today." A voice called from behind us, I sighed seeing it was Carver but perked up seeing he was holding three bottles in his hand. He handed Naruto and I each a beer and sat beside me.

"What do you mean Carver?" Naruto questioned, Carver reached out, touching the side of my face that Raiden had hit.

"Damn, he got you good." Carver sighed, yeah it fucking hurt. "Well-" Carver continued on, "How about you ask her about Kakashi?" I glared at Carver as Naruto sat beside me confused.

"Kakashi?" Naruto asked, "Sakura...do you...have feelings for him?" I breathed out and turned to him.

"No-" I was about to say.

"Lies!" Carver overpowered my lazed voice.

"It was not-"

"Lies!" Carver repeated with a smile as an urge to reach out and push him off the roof blossomed inside me. "So, when I was chasing after Raiden tonight and I just so happen to stumble upon you and Kakashi alone in a moonlit field as he was holding you that was just what-?" Carver shrugged, "-you two exchanging recipes?"

"It wasn't anything-"

"I see the way you look at him." Naruto interrupted, "And I can see the way he looks at you."

"He refused to leave your side after you were hurt in the Iron Village." Carver added.

"There is nothing-" I stated,

"When are you going to stop this?" Carver asked, "You accepted the Leaf Village which I know was difficult for you to do. Anyone with eyes can see you two feel something for each other, and when I talked to him-"

"Excuse me?" I interrupted.

"Er...I-I mean it wasn't anything like-"

"What the hell did you talk to him about?"

"You." Carver duhed me.

"Why-"

"I needed to make sure." Carver smiled,

"Make what sure?" I pressed,

"That he would be take care of you." Carver answered, my mouth opened to speak but nothing came out.

"In case you didn't know, I am crazy about you." Kakashi's words floated into my line of thought. I groaned annoyed as my heart fluttering remembering his breath fanning my neck.

"Sakura-?" I turned to Naruto,

"Huh?"

"I asked about Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" I was confused, why was he brought up?

"He wants to know if you still hold a flame for the little emo boy-" Carver informed me, I looked at Carver then back to Naruto and I laughed. After a second Carver joined in, "-she would eat him alive!" He laughed harder as tears formed in his eyes.

"Why is that so funny!?" Naruto didn't understand, and I didn't really want him too. Before my training with Kaguya started, she offered to take my seal from me. I could return to my former self and return to the leaf village but before she would take it she forced me to see my future. A future I would be bound to if I gave my seal away, I walked through a fog seeing people I knew but I couldn't place their faces to a name. I saw a woman with short pink hair with a daughter named after a fucking salad. Her daughter's trauma was the fact she never knew her father, that woman's husbands vanishes for over ten years...I watched that woman work, raise her kid and then stare out the window waiting for a man to return home. That was her life, it wasn't the fairy tale I had pictured in my head all those years I pined over Sasuke. I was so disappointed with my life; how could I have allowed myself to do nothing but be a sad two-bit character? I decided then to not give up the seal and take my fate into my own hands.

"Um-" I said, "-I am just not into him." I shrugged.

"But you were so obsessed with him!" Naruto chuckled,

"I was a kid." I shrugged, "I didn't know what love was."

"And you do now?" Naruto asked, as his words floated through my mind Kakashi's face popped up. I licked my lips and looked away.

"I don't know." I answered.

"Ugh!" Carver groaned, "Stop fighting it already and give in. You clearly like the guy, Kakashi is a good man and-Ahh!" I kicked Carver cutting him off, I watched him fall backwards.

"You-You just kicked him off the roof!?" Naruto panicked jumping to his feet.

"I sure did." I nodded feeling better as I turned and began my way back inside.


	20. Chapter 20

I stretched my neck as the wind broke around me, I stood inside the Leaf Village on the arena. I could see Carver and Raiden training the leaf shinobi. It was the middle of the day and I had to admit, it was nice not having to look over my shoulder for my own soldiers who wanted to kill me. Carver turned and waved having noticed me, my lips tilted upward watching Naruto jumping up and down waving after Carver gave me away. As I moved my way to the floor where they stood, I counted the days it had been since I had seen them. Two or maybe three weeks? Time inside the waterfall village seemed to just crawl away, not wanting to be inside that hellish pit that was drenched with the thirst to kill each other.

"Hey!" Naruto beamed bouncing as he moved to reach my side,

"Hey Naruto." I nodded.

"Where have you been?" Carver asked me, granted I have been gone for a while I did still stay in touch with them, which wasn't my norm. I have learned how to respond to a text, if I didn't Naruto would give my phone a heart attack until I texted back.

"It's been busy." I sighed, my body felt stiff and my side still felt raw.

"You have been gone for like ever!" Naruto whined, "You missed the bonfire."

"I know, I tried to get here but I just couldn't." I explained.

"How?" Raiden wondered, "You're the boss-"

"Anyway-" I interrupted, "-how has things been going around here?"

"Not bad." Carver yawned, "Your pretty much looking at what we have been doing."

"Any more Reaper sightings?" I asked.

"One or two?" Carver shrugged, "Maybe they are scouting?"

"Maybe." I muttered.

"Diem tells me you took down another camp?" Carver said,

"Yeah, it wasn't that big. Dozen Reapers or so." I said,

"Hm..." Carver trailed off.

"What?" I said, "I didn't go alone."

"You didn't come get-"

"I had a unit with me." I said, "There was no reason to come get one of you."

"Mhm." Carver said inspecting me, I rolled my eyes. "What pleasure do we have for you being here?"

"I was just checking on you." I said, looking around at the leaf shinobi train.

"I find that rude." Raiden scoffed, "You never checked on us before why now-?"

"Because she wanted a reason to come see us and she can't openly admit she missed everyone here." Carver explained, I was about to shoot him a glare when I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I internally groaned and my face showed it.

"I see you have been burning the candle at both ends." Raiden read my face.

"Yeah well..." I sighed, "...this is why I hate phones." I said pulling it to my ear turning from the three men. It was the River Village; something was going down and they requested my presence. After hanging up the phone I turned back to the group feeling disappointed. I had just got here, and I didn't get to see--Kakashi dropped from the freaking sky landing beside me. I quickly turned to gaze at his masked face, he looked down at me with that stupid closed eye smile.

"Hello Sakura." Kakashi greeted, his voice sent shivers through my body and settled in my bones.

"Who was on the phone?" Carver asked, I quickly gave him my attention.

"The uh, the River Village." I said,

"Oh?" Raiden perked up, "What is going on over there? I miss-"

"I have to go." I didn't look at Kakashi,

"Go?" Naruto asked, "You literally just got here!" He cried.

"Yeah, something is going on over in the River Village and they want me there."

"No detail was given?" Carver asked.

"No, it wasn't William or Arabella who called me, it was their assistant so..." I licked my lips turning to get space from the four men so I could transport myself.

"Hold on!" Carver laughed, "You're going to the Waterfall Village first, right?"

"No?" Why in the hell would I do that?

"You can't go alone." Carver said, "You said you wouldn't do this shit anymore, not until that shit is out of your system. You could be walking into a trap for all we know."

"I'll be fine-" I cut myself off seeing their death glares. "I don't have time to get Tsunade's approval-"

"You won't need it." I heard her call, I looked up at the sky for a moment cursing in my head. "Take who you need." She waved.

"Yeah but we can't go-" Carver nodded to Raiden, "-we must stay here, train the leaf shinobi and ya know...protect the village." He sighed stretching; I narrowed my eyes seeing he was up to something.

"But I want-" Raiden was about to whine when Naruto elbowed him.

"Yeah and I have to finish training!" The blond smiled.

"I can go." Sasuke said walking up. Naruto, Carver and Raiden all turned at the same time glaring at him.

"I'd rather go alone and die." I muttered, turning to the last option. Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"I guess that leaves me."

"Awesome." I muttered feeling annoyed, this felt set up.

"Be careful!" Naruto yelled and waved as I walked a few feet away with Kakashi on my heel. Wind began to wrap around us, I turned to see the leaf shinobi waving goodbye and wishing us luck. I just got here, and I felt like I had gotten stuck with a babysitter, why the fuck do I come to this village?

The wind shattered around us, leaving us standing inside the River Village in front of the large castle. Workers in the garden all stopped what they were doing to look at me, there was a mix of confusion as I moved up the stairs.

"No one is panicking." Kakashi commented.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything." I responded, I hated how delighted I felt with Kakashi standing beside me. It still felt weird with him, I wasn't sure why. If I ignored his texts or calls, he was worse than Naruto. Castle workers open two large doors leaning into the throne room where the king and queen were sitting.

"Sakura?" Arabella didn't sound relieved to see me but confused. What the hell?

"Is everything alright?" William questioned as he and his wife stood.

"I'm pretty sure that is my line?" I looked at Kakashi and then to them.

"What?" Arabella's face scrunched together; she was about as confused as I was.

"Yeah..." I said, "I got a call from your assistant, she said something was-"

"Your here!" A voice turned everyone's attention behind me, a short girl with a pixie haircut, and thick rimmed glasses came running towards us.

"Perri?" Arabella called, "What is going on?"

"We needed the Reaper your majesty." Perri bowed her head,

"That is not what was said." I called as she made her way towards me. "You said there was something going on inside this village and you needed my help."

"I am sorry!" Perri laughed, "I didn't mean to alarm you, but there is something going on we are so close to cracking the Reapers poison, but we need more of your blood."

"You could have just said that." I sighed, turning to Kakashi. "I can send you back-"

"Um-!" Arabella interrupted, "-Who is this?"

"Sorry-" I sighed; "-you remember Kakashi Hatake from the Leaf Village? He was on the team that escorted Cedany."

"Of course I remember!" Arabella smiled, she walked over and held out her hand. "Thank you so much for watching out for Cedany!" Kakashi bowed,

"It was nothing-"

"It was not nothing." William agreed, "What you had to do went far beyond what you were paid. Most people would have walked away leaving Cedany to Sakura, that tells me a lot about your character Kakashi Hatake."

"It wasn't-"

"How about I treat you to a nice dinner as a thank you?" William smiled,

"That isn't necessary-"

"It would be my pleasure!"

"As a matter of fact-" Arabella spoke up, "-Cedany should be here any second and I am sure she would like to thank you-" I quickly held out my arm to Perri.

"You said you needed my blood?" I said, Perri looked at me and nodded. "Let's go." I said quickly. William chuckled,

"Sakura?" He called,

"Yeah?" I sighed; I really didn't want to see Cedany.

"Do you mind if I borrow Kakashi while you are donating blood?" William asked, I looked at Kakashi who shrugged.

"Uh..." Did I want those three together? "That would be up to him." I said, he wasn't my soldier, I wasn't his boss.

"What do you say Kakashi? While Sakura is donating her blood can I borrow you?" William smiled, Kakashi looked from me to him.

"Of course."

"Wonderful!" Arabella clapped, "Sakura, off you go!"

"I feel unwanted." I muttered as Perri grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

I sat in the castles medical wing. My lips felt chapped as I leaned forward nausea rolled over me like a title wave. Perri was talking to a few doctors ignoring me as they held packs of paper. I agreed for them to take what they needed but I had no idea they would damn near drain me. I felt like a capri sun, I opened my eyes feeling someone taking the needle out of my arm.

"Shit." Perri muttered turning to someone, "We took too much from her."

"Ya think?" I muttered trying to stop the room from spinning as my head felt light. Where was my juice and cookie? It was like the one good thing about donating blood. I heard the doors open to the room I sat in, I leaned forward in my chair as my head hurt.

"What is taking so long?" Arabella questioned.

"I am sorry Queen Arabella." The doctor who took the needle from my arm spoke. I felt a warm hand on my face, I opened my eyes a blurry masked face was in my vision.

"How much blood did you take from her?" Kakashi asked standing beside me.

"We thought she could handle-" The doctor tried to defend their actions.

"She is still in recovery." Kakashi's voice was strong and sent thrilling chills through my body, I would need to explore those later when I didn't feel like an ice cube.

"She said take what we needed-"

"Clearly not so much she wouldn't be able to stand." William stepped in,

"I told them to take what they needed." I said, lifting myself to my feet.

"There is a limit-" Kakashi turned to me, the room shifted as I tried to move with it Kakashi caught me before falling. "-you can't recover with chakra."

"Trust me, I know." I muttered as the feeling of his hands on my body was taking up too much of my thought process.

"Sakura?" Arabella sounded troubled, "Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine." I fought a yawn, "I need to get him back to the Leaf Village before-"

"You can't walk let alone use your seals!" William said, "The last thing we need is you failing to transport yourselves and ending up stranded somewhere. You will stay here until you feel better."

"He is right." Kakashi agreed.

"Hm." Arabella said, "Half the castle is still in the process of being renovated."

"That is true." William agreed,

"I can get you to the Leaf Village." I muttered to Kakashi, the feel of his hands on my body after weeks of not seeing him...the texts and phone calls couldn't compare to the feel of him as his scent wrapped around me making it so hard for me to stay awake. I always got the best sleep when he was around.

"Oh!" Arabella said, "We will set you two up in the best hotel the River Village as to offer! Since it was our doctors' fault she is like this, it is the least we can do."

"It's the fall festival this week, would there even be any rooms available?" William muttered.

"I am sure they can find at least one, you wouldn't mind sharing right?"

"We will be fine." Kakashi's voice smiled, after some time of drifting I felt Kakashi move me. I groaned in protest earning a chuckle, I didn't want to move. My stomach hurt and felt uneasy as I pride my eyes open.

"We found a room-" Arabella spoke, but I really didn't care, I felt sick when Kakashi took steps forcing me to walk with him. Arabella and William had a taxi waiting outside for us. They said more words to me, and I nodded not soaking in their conversation, I just wanted this to be over. I hadn't slept in days; it was one of the reasons I went to the Leaf Village. I could sleep there without having to wonder if one of my soldiers was going to burst through my window and try to kill me. I leaned against Kakashi like glue as the taxi was put into drive and glided along the paved road.

\----

A shower was running, I opened my eyes and saw a darkened room. My throat was dry, I looked around and spotted a water bottle by the table beside the bed I laid on. I slowly sat up, feeling better than I did at the castle. I opened the bottle and chugged half of it. I sighed, setting it down as I fully took in my surrounding. Where was I? The bathroom door opened, Kakashi walked out wearing pants and nothing else. Where the hell was I?

"Good morning." Kakashi smiled with those full lips, the last time I seen his unmasked face my lipstick was stained on his lips. I had to admit they looked better in my shade of red. The sky outside was dying, it was not morning he was joking with me.

"Where are we?" I asked running my hands through my hair.

"A hotel."

"Hotel?" I repeated, Kakashi walked over and sat beside me. I felt an urge to lean forward and touch his bare chest at the same time I felt like moving back getting as much space between him as I could.

"You were pretty out of it." Kakashi muttered, he reached out and touched my forehead. "Queen Arabella set us up here, remember?" I vaguely recalled what he was saying.

"Right." I nodded, I felt hungry as my stomach rumble. Kakashi smiled,

"How about I feed you?" He asked standing. I hummed as I pulled the blanket off my body. I got up and stretched, I gazed out the large window at the beautiful city that was the River Village.

"It is a beautiful view." Kakashi said, I nodded in agreement turning around. I felt my heart jump as I noticed Kakashi was gazing at me. After a second, he looked away clearing his throat.

Kakashi quickly got dressed and we left the room. It was busy since the fall festival was in a few days. I had the chance to attend a few of them over the years, it was a memorable time with the right people. Kakashi and I walked to a restaurant I knew of; it was my favorite inside this village and I rarely had the chance to sit down and enjoy a meal. Kakashi and I were sat by a window, the view was of the lush beach beside the restaurant and with the sun beginning to set it was a spectacular view.

"What did you do with William and Arabella?" I wondered after ordering our meals.

"Hm?" He hummed looking from the window, I leaned back in my chair. Kakashi didn't seem very interested right now.

"When I left to donate blood?" I reminded him, "What did you do?"

"Nothing." He smiled with his one exposed eye, I sighed feeling annoyed I didn't like that answer.

"Try again." I said. Kakashi chuckled,

"Light conversation with the king and queen." Kakashi answered, "Nothing to interesting."

"Mhm." I didn't believe him; he wouldn't look me in the eye he was holding something back. We fell into an awkward silence, the server dropped off our food.

"You have been gone a while." Kakashi said out of the blue.

"Huh?" I tilted my head, I watched him grin under his mask. "So?" I muttered,

"Three weeks can be a long time." Kakashi said,

"It did not feel like three weeks." I muttered.

"What?"

"It felt like one really long day with a nap somewhere in between."

"You haven't been sleeping?" Kakashi asked causing me to laugh from deep inside my chest. "Why is that funny?" He wondered,

"It's not." I said shaking my head but continued to giggle.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok?" He reached across the table to touch my forehead; I grabbed his hand without thinking.

"I'm-" I cut myself off feeling his hand intertwined with mine, he brought our hands down to rest on the table. "I'm good." I smiled as conversation between us seem to start to flow a little more naturally.

\----

I turned quickly doing a double take seeing Kakashi wasn't beside me. I looked scanning the area. Kakashi was sitting on a bench across the street, he was bent downplaying with his shoe.

"Are you doing alright?" I wondered watching him taking his shoes off.

"Of course." He glanced at me, "I'm with you." I sharpened my eyes at the compliment,

"What are you doing?" I asked,

"I thought it would be nice to walk on the beach."

"Eh?" I asked, I almost laughed. "Why?"

"Because it would be nice." Kakashi stood. "Come on." Kakashi said holding his hand out to me.

"No." I said,

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want too."

"Why?"

"Because I said no."

"Yes, but why?"

"Do you know what no means?"

"It will be fun." He repeated.

"How?"

"Because it will be."

"No." I repeated.

"Why? Five good reasons, go." He laughed at my annoyed expression.

"I don't like beaches."

"Who doesn't like beaches?" Kakashi wondered,

"Me." I said,

"I don't believe that."

"Why is that?" I asked,

"Because everyone likes beaches."

"I don't."

"I'll change your mind."

"You will not."

"How do you know?"

"Because I am smart?"

"Please Sakura" Kakashi said, my heart skipped a step. "For me?" He reached his hand out again. I took in a deep breath and let it out looking away from him for a second. That wasn't a fair move on his part.

"Fine." I stated, sitting on the bench. "I am just going to complain the entire time."

"That's fine." Kakashi said.

"You say that now." I muttered taking my shoes off. I stood and followed Kakashi as I walked onto the warm sand, I instantly hated it as memories had my muscles clenched. Kakashi and I walked through the beach, I followed him to the water as he gazed out to the horizon, I watched his masked face. He looked very peaceful right now he turned, and I quickly looked away.

"Come on." Kakashi said, he took my hand in his as we walked against the water. My heart was pounding so fast I hated it. I looked down as the water rushed past my feet, it was clear and shined against the sunset. I watched the water recede back into the ocean. "Is this so bad?" Kakashi's voice brought my attention up.

"It's terrible." I answered causing him to chuckle, I hated how that sound wrapped around me making me feel happy.

"Can you tell me why?" Kakashi asked.

"This isn't a romance novel." I muttered looking around at all the couples.

"Why can't it be?" Kakashi questioned, he has been reading to many of those books. I decided to not respond as I went back to the area around us. There was a lot of people, mainly couples who were enjoying the River Villages' year-round warm weather. "What don't you like about this moment?" Kakashi asked, I read through his voice.

"It isn't you." I said with a sigh on the tail end of my comment. I glanced behind me at the shore crashing against the sand. The feel of the grains of my feet made me cringe, I could hear echoes inside my head at Kaguya screaming at me to run faster as she runs after me with a swinging blade.

"Sakura?" Kakashi snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Kaguya." I answered, "Most of her trainings were on a beach because of the sand, it is a great workout tool." I explained. 

"I see." Kakashi nodded,

"I don't know." I muttered taking in the area around us, normal people would think this was a nice way to spend your day but from my point of view it felt like a nightmare. "Maybe that's why I don't think this-" I gestured to the beach, "-is nice like you do."

"I see." Kakashi repeated he tried to mask it, but I heard his dull voice.

"Hey-" I said as I stopped walking. Kakashi still held my hand, he looked at me as he felt me stop moving. "-it really isn't you. My training with Kaguya isn't what you would call fun so being on something that reminds me of it makes me uneasy. But I am here for you, you're the only thing on this damn beach that is making this worth it."

"I think we passed a candy shop." Kakashi said.

"What?" That was random.

"How about we go buy the store out and have an undead movie marathon?" Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Please get me off this beach." I smiled with a laugh. Kakashi tightened his grasp on my hand as we jogged through the sand. With Kakashi by my side, I didn't feel Kaguya's imprint breathing down my neck to run faster. Kakashi and I walked into a brightly colored store, bought half of their supplies and made our way back to the hotel that Arabella got for us since there was no room inside the castle for us to stay.

I plopped on the bed as I opened a candy bar as Kakashi put on the first movie. I smiled as the screen was engulfed with blood and death, I expected Kakashi to look at me like I was a little loose in the head but instead he was smiling at me. I was excited to watch movies and have a night off. I turned to ask Kakashi a question but stopped he took his mask off and stripped his shirt. I blinked a few times, watching as he tossed his shirt on the sofa chair. I felt blood running to my face as quickly looked to the TV, it was hard to force my eyes to stay on the TV as if it was the freaking sun and to not look at Kakashi's exposed body.

Kakashi moved into the bed, he removed the covers and settled in beside me. My heart was hammering against my chest as I glared at the screen willing it to keep my attention on it and not the man beside me.

"Sakura-?"

"Yup?" I asked, my voice came out unnaturally high, I turned to Kakashi but instantly regretted it taking in his unmasked shirtless existence. I cleared my throat looking back to the TV.

"I asked if that is what you're going to wear?" It took me a long second to figure out what the hell he was talking about.

"Uh...yeah." I nodded. I wore my pants and long sleeve; I was under the impression the river village was in danger so packing a bag wasn't on my mind.

"Isn't that going to be uncomfortable?" Kakashi wondered,

"Mm, not really." I shrugged. "I'm used to sleeping in my gear so..."

"I see." Kakashi nodded, "You can wear my shirt if you-"

"I'm good." I said to quickly with too much emotion. Kakashi chuckled,

"Are you nervous?" He was enjoying this.

"Nope." I popped the 'p'.

"Really?" Kakashi leaned on his arm, gazing at the side of my face.

"Mhm." I hummed.

"Because you seem a little..."

"I train people for a living." I said, "I see shirtless men-" My sentence didn't get a chance to leave my mouth as Kakashi pulled me. My eyes were wide as I laid on my back and Kakashi hovered over me.

"What was that now?" Kakashi asked,

"Wha-What?" I got an eye full of Kakashi's bare chest, every urge told me to reach out and touch his toned muscles, they even said please.

"How many men have seen you like this?" Kakashi lowered moving closer to me, I bit my lip feeling so many different emotions that I wanted to play with, but I know I shouldn't. Wait a moment...did Kakashi just ask me my body count?

"Excuse me?" I found my voice.

"Hm?" He hummed as his nipped at my neck.

"Are you asking me my body count?" I scoffed, "I'm sorry, you weren't the one walking in on me fucking-"

"That-" Kakashi cut me off, moving to gaze into my eyes. "-was a mistake."

"Yeah I bet, anyone walking in on someone-"

"That isn't what I meant." Kakashi sighed, "Kurenai was a mistake."

"I don't know how you do it, but sex is like a whole bunch of steps so saying it is one mistake-"

"I know, and I am sorry-"

"Why are you apologizing?" I shrugged, "You're a grown man, if you want to sleep with-"

"Are you saying you're not bothered by me sleeping with other women?" Kakashi was surveying me.

"That is not-I don't-" I cut myself off with a huff, Kakashi laughed above me.

"I can see you and Carver are a lot alike."

"What?" Why the hell was he bringing up Carver?

"Neither of you like talking about your emotions but in reality, you two are more loving than the ones who are open."

"Er..." I was at a loss for words. Kakashi leaned down, I could feel it was meant to be a simple sweet kiss but when he placed his hand on my hip and ran his tongue over my bottom lip, that feeling just hit differently.

I leaned closer into Kakashi as I gave into those wild emotions, my hands found his bare chest. I explored every inch Kakashi's skin was so smooth. His intoxicating cologne, one that he always wore wrapped around me. It felt like the scent I had come to love so much whispered in my ear letting me know I was safe.

Kakashi dipped back down near my neck. I sucked in a quick breath feeling him suck and nip at the tender skin as my heart pounded faster and I heated up. My eyes fluttered closed as the sound of screaming zombies drowned out, all I could hear was my heart beating against my eardrums, the more Kakashi touched me the more pressure built up between my legs. Kakashi's hand moved from my hip and under my shirt, his other hand was in my hair, gripping it tightly so I couldn't move my neck away from him. I could feel he was holding back as I felt his hot breath against my ear as he nipped on it. Kakashi kissed his way over my jaw line,

"Kakashi..." His name was so natural on my tongue.

Kakashi kissed me gently but it wasn't his gentleness that I wanted not with the fervent urgent need that was spinning around inside my head, I have never craved another person's touch like this before. I grabbed his shirt and pulled his body into mine.

Kakashi groaned low in his throat against my mouth as he pulled me against his body. My nerves were on edge, every sense I had was on overdrive as Kakashi's tongue slipped into my mouth, he was gentle but demanding.

I felt Kakashi's rough but soft hand on my bare stomach, it felt so good as I understood others when they said kissing someone felt like melting. I was unraveling before this man without even realizing it. Kakashi's kiss broke the damn sky and flipped my world upside down.

I understood those annoying couples who bragged about their relationship to their single friends, because every square inch of my body was dissolving into Kakashi. I found my fingers in his soft silver locks my heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest.

My eyes snapped open feeling Kakashi's hand on my breast, the sound of someone on the TV screen getting their organs ripped out of their body rejoined me as I came to my senses. Kakashi was still on my neck as the reality of this situation came crashing into me. Kakashi moved away from my neck as he pulled my shirt up to expose my stomach, he kissed my bare skin sending wild tremors along my nerves, evoking me from my sensations.

Kakashi's hand left my hair, sliding down my body sending shivers through me. His fingers grazed the front of my pants trying to undo them. My body returned control over to me, tapping out. I snapped up, pulling from Kakashi.

"Sakura?" He sounded very confused and a little breathless. "Are you alright?"

I licked my swollen lips as I looked away from Kakashi's confused gaze. I felt foolish, I was the Reaper of Reapers. I can take on an entire army and walk away to talk about it. I have been through hell and back. Carver, Raiden, Annora pretty much everyone I knew talked about how sex was such a great stress relief and it was beneficial in many ways, but why did this make me feel unsteady?

"I uh..." I tried to speak but words fell short.

"Sakura." Kakashi sat beside me, "Are-Are you a...have you ever been with anyone else?" He sounded so awkward; it was refreshing to see him be the one caught off guard for once. I sighed,

"No." I answered, I never had the time while most people my age experimented with others, I was thrown into a pit by Kaguya and force to fight in order to survive.

"You have never slept with anyone?" Kakashi repeated, stunned.

"Why does that seem so hard to-" I felt offended, but Kakashi cut me off by slamming his lips onto mine.

"If you're not ready..." Kakashi broke the kiss, "It's ok." Great way to make me feel like a teenager Kakashi.

"I..." By the time I became commander and had time people were too scared to get near me, I was the Reaper who the hell would want to be around her let alone sleep with it? I was fine with being alone, I was fine with not having a physical relationship with anyone until Kakashi came along and fucked everything up.

"It's ok to be nervous and a little scared." Kakashi said as he looked at me with warm eyes. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me to lay beside him. I looked up only to get trapped in his vortex eyes. I don't know what piece of me moved and took over, but I leaned forward and kissed him. It was a soft kiss, but it still melted me. Kakashi kissed me back, his hand found the side of my face that was still a little sore from Raiden punching me. I felt my existence dissolve away from my reach.

The kiss was slow, and soon started to grow. Something was different this time, I felt more assertive as I kissed him back hungrier. Kakashi's fingers slipped under my shirt and lifted it above my head, my pants were next it was a fire sale, and everything must go. I smiled against his lips as I flipped us around, I laughed at his shocked face as I straddled him. I felt his large member poking me as I leaned down to kiss him, he reflipped us. He held my hands over my head as his eyes shined.

"Absolutely not." He growled, biting my neck causing me to laugh. "Sakura-" I looked at him, he looked unnaturally serious for a man who had a naked woman underneath him. "Are you sure about this?" He was giving me an out if I wanted one.

"Yeah." I breathed.

~~ P.O.V Change ~~

"Arabella, would you give Kakashi and I a moment alone please?" King William asked looking over his shoulder to his wife. The king and queen led Kakashi to a large library as Sakura was donating her blood. 

"Um, of course?" Arabella nodded, leaving the room as William gestured to a seat across from him for Kakashi to sit. Kakashi did, looking behind him wondering why the king did not want his queen in the room.

"So Kakashi Hatake." William smiled,

"Hm?" He looked back at the king.

"I have heard quite a bit of stories about you." William said as Kakashi remained silent. WIlliam sighed getting up, walking to the side of the room and began to make two drinks. "I remember when I first met her."

"Who?" Kakashi asked,

"Commander Haruno." William said, turning to Kakashi with two thick glasses in his hand. "She was...for lack of words terrifying."

"Really?" Kakashi asked, he got the impression Sakura was close to the king and queen of the river village.

"Yes, she came to my village chasing after the Reapers. They bulldozed their way in and destroyed half the city. I was responding to the surprise attack when I first seen her; in that moment I realized she was different than most people, while everyone around us were running away she walked into the flames with a smile."

"Yes, she is fearless." Kakashi agreed.

"When she first came here, she was not Sakura to us. She was the Reaper or Commander Haruno, she was cold and distant. Unlike most leaders I had met she lived on the front lines, she didn't sit back and watch her shinobi run into battle. I didn't see her until a year later, when she was placed on the black ops team that was when she really began to open up as a person and allow others to see how amazing she is."

"Sir-" Kakashi said, "-what does all this-?"

"It took the Nine years to break through Kaguya's training. That woman held Sakura down and washed all the humanity out of her. Then the Nine began to die I knew about the members, but my wife didn't. Sakura began to revert to her old self, I don't know if it was due to the pain of losing a comrade or if it was the lack of their presence that allowed Kaguya to claw her way back into Sakura."

"You don't like Kaguya?" Kakashi figured out.

"I despise that woman." William spat, "If it wasn't for Sakura, I wouldn't have anything to do with the Waterfall Village. But despite that, Sakura showed up here with a Leaf Village team. Imagine my surprise to see her with a team from the village she hated the most, and it was the same team to had turned their back on her."

"I-"

"And here she is now, with you." William crossed his arms over his chest.

"We-" Kakashi tried to speak,

"Who is she to you?" William questioned.

"Sakura is..." Kakashi trailed off, she wasn't his student. She wasn't his teammate; they didn't even belong to the same village. Who was he to her?

"Arabella and I grew close to the Nine, especially to Sakura. We have come to adore her as one of our own, we have even tried to get her to leave the Waterfall village and live here but she turns us down every time."

"I see." Kakashi nodded, taking in this new information.

"Sakura is a talented woman, she is almost radioactive-" William chuckled, "-she is so strong for her young age and when she gets close to a person, she loves them more than she will ever get back. This is one of her greatest strengths and yet it is also her weakness-" Kakashi reached over, touching Williams hand after seeing this man was the closest thing to a father Sakura has.

"I promise I am never going to stop loving her." Kakashi said, "I will protect her with everything I have. I'm not going to turn my back on her just because she doesn't trust people easily. I know I am up for a fight because she is stubborn and I am ready because Sakura is more than worth it."

"Kakashi..." William breathed a smile onto his face, tears pricked his eyes as he nodded his head. William prayed in that moment for his other two daughters to find good men like this one sitting across from him. "...you'll take care of her?"

"Until my last breath."


	21. Chapter 21

The sunlight was so clear as it shined through the curtains to the hotel room Kakashi and Sakura were staying in. She laid on his bare chest as her hair painted the sheets with their soft pink strands. Kakashi mindlessly ran his fingers through the silky threads, his eyes closed as he enjoyed this still moment in time. The blanket belonging to the bed laid over their waists as Kakashi rested his free hand on Sakura's lower back.

After an hour she began to stir, he looked down watching those beautiful eyes of hers open. Kakashi smiled as she blinked a few times then looked up at him with a sleepy look still resting on her face. Kakashi laughed, reaching down and kissing the top of her head.

"Good morning." He smiled.

"Morning." Sakura breathed, putting her head back on his chest as she closed her eyes. Sakura was not a morning person. She laid on Kakashi's chest listening to his heartbeat, last night replayed through her mind as she felt Kakashi's naked body underneath her.

Bizz...Bizz...

Sakura looked to the in table next to the bed, her phone was underneath a bag full of uneaten candy that they never got around to eating.

"Fuck." Sakura breathed, closing her eyes as she placed her forehead on Kakashi's chest.

"Hm?" Kakashi asked,

"I had a meeting." Sakura groaned recalling her and Dawn setting up the meeting for today. Sakura had planned on being back in the waterfall village in the early morning after getting some sleep inside the leaf village, but the river village called her, so she whisked right on over thinking they were in trouble. They were not, they just wanted her blood.

"A meeting about what?" Kakashi wondered, moving an arm behind his head.

"Word had gotten around about Carver and Raiden training the Leaf shinobi, so now other villages feel this is unfair and want me to send a team to them so their shinobi can be trained." Sakura explained, she knew she should get up quickly get dressed and rush to her village, but she didn't want to move.

"Hm." Kakashi nodded, he quickly flipped the two. Kakashi hovered over Sakura who looked confused. "Well you already missed your meeting." He said,

"Yeah, now I have pissed off village leaders and-"

"And-" Kakashi cut in, "-you should spend the morning with me."

"Wha-?"

"They can wait a few more hours." He whispered, leaning down and placing his lips against hers.

"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one who has to deal with them." Sakura broke the kiss. 

"I'll deal with them." Kakashi smirked, "If it means I get you all to myself all morning, send them my way."

"I-" Kakashi kissed Sakura again, stopping her from talking. Her hand found the side of his face as she allowed herself to melt into his grasp. "-I should really get going-" Kakashi kissed down Sakura's neck.

"You really want me to stop?" He breathed, gripping the side of her hip keeping her from moving.

"Well-" Sakura's mind filled with lust as logic stepped on the sidelines. Kakashi quickly moved up to hover over her face.

"You vanish from me for weeks at a time, they can wait a few more hours." He said, leaving no room for argument as his hand left Sakura's side, traveling down her stomach and in between her legs.

\----

Kakashi kissed Sakura's shoulder, he laid behind her holding her against him. Their arms were extended out in front of them. Kakashi played with Sakura's fingers as a small smile rested on her lips. They ignored the buzzing of a phone as they laid in that bed for another peaceful hour. Sakura looked behind her letting Kakashi place another kiss on her, time with him seemed to evaporate. Sakura moved to lay on her back as Kakashi propped himself up with his hand.

"Dawn is probably having a heart attack." Sakura said with a laugh mixed in her voice.

"She is your second in command?" Kakashi asked,

"Yeah." Sakura nodded, enjoying the feel of Kakashi's arm around her. "She is a good person, a little tightly strung but...good." Kakashi smiled he wanted to know everyone who Sakura held close to her, he wanted to know everything about her.

After another twenty minutes Sakura and Kakashi finally got out of bed. Sakura stepped into a steaming shower, she felt someone behind her and saw a smiling Kakashi.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Saving water." He answered, stepping in behind her.

"I don't think that is accurate." Sakura muttered, Kakashi gazed down on the pinkette. He kissed her shoulder; the same one he had bandaged up with the large cutting running over it, it was healing nicely.

"I have already seen you naked so..." Kakashi chuckled at Sakura's scowl.

After a hot shower and small breakfast, Sakura and Kakashi stepped outside into the warm river village air.

"Are you ready?" Sakura turned to Kakashi.

"If I say no, do I get you to myself longer?" Kakashi wondered, causing Sakura to chuckle.

"I'm afraid not." Sakura answered as wind began to spin around them.

"Damn." Kakashi said, leaning down and placing one last kiss against her lips before they reached the leaf village. The wind broke around them, Sakura tilted her head seeing leaf shinobi all laying on their asses looking like they were just punched.

"Little warning next time!" Raiden yelled; Sakura smiled watching him jump up. "You nearly knocked us all over!"

"Sorry." Sakura chuckled, Kakashi walked a few feet from her. Turning and watching wind wrap in a circle taking her away from him. Kakashi's chest felt heavy as he heard Naruto and others run to his side confused, why was Sakura already leaving!? Kakashi sighed as she vanished, being ripped away into a village he hated.

"Kakashi!?" Raiden yelled, breaking through to the masked shinobi.

"Hm?"

"Where did she go!?"

"The Waterfall Village." Kakashi answered,

"Why?"

"She had a meeting."

"How is the River village?" Carver wondered.

"Yeah, what was wrong that they needed Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing." Kakashi said, pulling out his book. "How is training?"

"You-You can't only give us that little amount of detail!" Naruto yelled,

"Why did they need her!?" Raiden added, his voice ringing in Kakashi's ear.

"They needed her blood." Kakashi answered.

"What-What?!" Raiden spouted, "That's it!?"

"Yes, they are very dramatic over there." Kakashi said, "I can see where you get it." He muttered before walking away with his nose inside what was his favorite book. After his night with Sakura, this book couldn't compare to his wild time with his cherry blossom.

\----

Five long days passed the leaf village. Carver and Raiden trained the leaf village, Naruto and the leaf shinobi got stronger and faster. Carver and Raiden were proud of their progress and claimed Sakura would be to whenever she swung by. Sakura hadn't been responding to their calls and texts. She didn't even reply to Kakashi, he thought they had a special night together after all, he was the first man she had ever been with. He thought for sure she would at least text him of all people. Was it possible Kakashi was reading more into the night they shared together?

Kakashi sighed, he was too focused on his thoughts as he climbed the side of this mountain, his right arm tied behind his back to make it harder. Even with fall in full bloom and the chilly air Kakashi was feeling hot as he climbed his way up the mountain with no safety harness to offer protection. Even though he was stories up and the fact one wrong move could cause him to fall to his death, he couldn't keep those blaring green orbs out of his head. Kakashi constantly thought about their hot steamy night as if it was set on replay in his head. If he wasn't a sane man, he would for sure think that night was all in his fantasy. Five days, one hundred and twenty hours since he had seen or spoken to her...this was a madness he had never felt before.

Kakashi sighed, reaching the top of the mountain. He hadn't realized how far he climbed as he lifted himself over the edge. He needed to get a grip and stop being so distracted. Kakashi saw two black boots, he blinked before looking up. Her hair shined in the sunlight.

"What-?" Kakashi breathed.

"I thought for sure you weren't going to make it for a second." Sakura teased as she moved to sit beside him, her legs hung over the cliff.

"What are you-?" Kakashi was stunned, five simple days felt like five painful years since he had seen her. She glanced over with a grin on her lips, the same lips he kissed so freely not so long ago. "Where have you been?" He breathed; Sakura handed him a water bottle.

"Busy." She replied, Kakashi lowered his mask and took a long drink. Busy? Was that the only thing she was going to say to him? It was him...he thought they were closer than she was with Naruto and the others... "Stop." Kakashi looked up at the sound of her voice, she had an annoyed look on her face.

"What?" He was dumbfounded.

"Stop looking at me like a hurt puppy."

"I-I am-" Kakashi was at a loss for words, Sakura had an effect about her that just left him spinning out.

"I am sorry." She said, looking away from him and towards the sunset. "I wanted to call you."

"Then why didn't you?" He asked, reaching over and cupping the side of her face with his hand. She was real, he just had to make sure she was really here with him.

"I just got busy..." Sakura trailed off, Kakashi noticed the light bags under her eyes.

"You haven't been sleeping." He noted.

"Yeah." Sakura nodded, she finally turned to look at him.

"You know you can talk to me about-"

"I know." Sakura smiled, "It's nothing." Sakura laughed, "There is no conspiracy that I am hiding from you. I have been jumping from one meeting to another and dealing with petty shit like the Stone Village-"

"Stone Village?" Kakashi questioned,

"Yeah."

"What about them?"

"You think I am going to let Onoki try and lead a strike against me?" Sakura laughed, "No." She shook her head.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't attack him like Kaguya wanted too."

"She wanted to attack the Stone Village?" Kakashi breathed, an act like that would cause an all-out war between the villages.

"Yeah, but I stopped her which is another reason why I have been so busy." Sakura gave Kakashi a sad smile, she has missed him a lot in the past five days. Sakura cleared her throat and looked ahead, "So what has everyone been up to around here?" She changed the subject.

"It's been quiet, same old routine." Kakashi grinned, reaching around and pulling her into him.

"That's good." Sakura smiled, her muscles relaxed feeling Kakashi against her. Without his flak jacket on she could feel the warmth of his body through his thin black long sleeve. She could also see the outlines of his toned body making her think back to her night with him as more dirty thoughts trickled into her mind.

"What are you up too?" Kakashi wondered, why was she here? Sakura shrugged,

"Just thought I would swing by, see how Carver and Raiden are doing and how their training is coming along."

"I see..." Kakashi sighed, leaning back taking Sakura with him. "...well it is late now, so chances are everyone is already eating dinner and settling down for the night."

"Probably." Sakura agreed.

"You could come home with me." Kakashi smiled.

"Mm..." Sakura trailed off teasing him. "Why would I do that?"

"I am so entertaining." Kakashi gestured to himself as the two stood.

"I wouldn't call it entertaining-" Sakura chuckled.

"I could make us dinner, and we never did get to have that undead marathon." Kakashi smiled as he pulled up his mask. "I still have all that candy."

"I should probably check on-" Kakashi closed the space between the two,

"If you make me beg you now-" He warned, "I'll make you beg all night long." He threatened, his hands trailing down Sakura's body and settled on her hips.

"I-I guess they can wait until morning." Sakura felt flushed as Kakashi's nose trailed up and down her neck.

"Better." Kakashi smiled, taking her hand. "Let's go." He said leading them to his apartment. Sakura smiled, letting the masked man drag her to wherever he wanted to go. The two easily reached Kakashi's apartment without being spotted by anyone. Kakashi wants Sakura all to himself for the night, he didn't want to have to share her with her two teammates or with Naruto and Sasuke. 

Sakura found it entertaining watching Kakashi dodge people as they walked through the village. She told him she could transport them there but then Carver and Raiden would feel her chakra and most likely come running, which was what Kakashi didn't want. Kakashi locked his door as he breathed, sliding his mask down. Sakura looked around his apartment, he studied her movements as he went to take off his gear and shoes.

"Do you want anything specific for dinner?" He asked, Sakura turned to him shrugging. Carver and Raiden told Kakashi and the rest of team seven about their diet before stationing inside the leaf village. They would go days, even weeks eating nothing but water and meal bars. Kakashi wanted to feed her something flavorful and filling since he knew that is all she really ate.

"So, this is your apartment." Sakura looked around the one bedroom, one bath apartment.

"Yes." Kakashi chuckled, "You have been here before."

"True." Sakura nodded, but during that time she didn't really care. She moved into the kitchen and watching Kakashi, after some time he shooed her into the living room to go sit down and watch TV, something she rarely did. Sakura plopped down; she spotted the two books sitting on the coffee table. She picked up the red one and flipped it open, she sat in silence as she read the book since Kakashi kicked her out of the kitchen.

Twenty five minutes Kakashi walked out of the kitchen with two plates in hand. He decided to cook up stake, green beans and mashed potatoes. Kakashi placed them on the coffee table in front of Sakura and walked back to the kitchen to grab two beers, he noticed Sakura drinking them with Carver and Raiden, so he bought a pack. Kakashi walked back to the living room finally noticing the TV was not on. He turned to Sakura; his heart slammed into his throat as he quickly reached out to take the copy of icha icha violence from Sakura's hand. She dodged his grasp with ease, she got up not taking her eyes off the page.

"Sakura!" Kakashi hissed,

"Hm?" She hummed quickly walking around the couch in order to get away from Kakashi. Kakashi tried to jump over the piece of furniture but Sakura was a step ahead of him. He growled feeling annoyed as he spun around trying to get his hands on her.

"Give that to me-!"

"So, this is what you have been reading." Sakura was a fast reader, years of being a bookworm paid off.

"It-It's not what you think!" Kakashi defended.

"Oh, it isn't?" Sakura laughed, "Because it looks like you're a kinky little fucker-" Sakura jumped back out of Kakashi's reach.

"Sakura, I swear of you don't-"

"What?" Sakura taunted, "What are you going to do?"

"If you don't give that back to me, I'll bend you over that couch and show you." Kakashi demanded, a sly smirk spread across Sakura's face.

"Is that a promise?" Sakura asked, shocking Kakashi as well as turning him on.

"Sakura-"

"Kakashi." Sakura copied Kakashi, she went back to reading the book as her and Kakashi ran around his apartment playing a cat and mouse game. Sakura twisted, as she did her side stung, she hissed out letting Kakashi get his hands on her. The two fell to the floor, Kakashi pinned Sakura's hands above her head. Kakashi breathed heavily playfully glaring down at her.

"Aw, don't tell me your out of breath already?" Sakura smiled causing Kakashi to lean down nipping her ear as he did so, he found his way in between Sakura's legs.

"I wasn't the one out of breath the last time we were like this." Kakashi whispered in her ear, Kakashi laughed at the pout on Sakura's face, she couldn't think of a comeback, she stuck her tongue out at him like a child would. He smiled, bending down and licking her tongue. Sakura's eyes opened in surprised as Kakashi smirked feeling victorious. "Come on-" He said lifting her with him. "-Before dinner gets cold."

"Hm?" She perked up at the sound of food, Kakashi smiled seeing this. She sat beside Kakashi on the couch and looked at the plate in front of her. "You made this?" She asked,

"Yes." Kakashi chuckled, "Why?"

"How?"

"How did I cook it?" Kakashi repeated, "I used an oven and-"

"Ha-Ha smart ass." Sakura cut in making Kakashi smile. Kakashi turned on the same movie that they had tried watching in the river village before they got...distracted.

"This is really good." Sakura said,

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Kakashi wondered,

"You don't really seem like the cooking type." Sakura laughed,

"And you are?" Kakashi wondered,

"Hell no." Sakura smiled at memories of her trying to cook for the Nine and failed horribly, she gave them food poisoning, twice. "I can't cook to save my life."

"Really?" Kakashi was a little surprised.

"Why do you sound so shocked?" Sakura asked, "Because I am a woman I should know-"

"No." Kakashi smiled, placing his hand on her knee, "You just seem like you're the type to be perfect at everything you do."

"I am not perfect." Sakura said taking a bite of green beans. "So that book-"

"We are not talking about the book." Kakashi quickly cut in making Sakura laugh.

"So touchy." She muttered as they finished their dinner. Sakura helped Kakashi clean up, "Thanks for dinner." She said,

"I'll cook for you any time." Kakashi said.

"Yeah?"

"Of course." Kakashi smiled,

"I may hold you to that." Sakura said, drying the last plate. "If I can." Sakura nodded to herself,

"What?" Kakashi asked,

"Nothing." Sakura smiled, shrugging it off.

"Tell me." Kakashi wouldn't let it go, not seeing she was just teasing him.

"You said I can hold you to it but I am still waiting for you-" Kakashi pushed Sakura back, she hit the wall with Kakashi on top of her before she knew what was happening Kakashi was kissing her.

"What was that?" He growled against her lips, Sakura smirked kissing him back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kakashi lifted Sakura her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked them into his bedroom, Kakashi pushed the door closed before dropping Sakura onto the bed reaching up behind him and pulled his shirt off.

\---- 

The next day Kakashi spent his morning lying in bed as Sakura slept beside him. He licked his lips, gazing down at her sleeping expression. He so badly wanted to wake her up, pin her down and go another round with her but she was clearly exhausted and not from him. With a forced huff Kakashi removed himself from Sakura, throwing on loose fitting bottoms he made his way into the kitchen to make breakfast and some much-needed coffee.

The time just blurred past Kakashi as he realized he was done making breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast and coffee were all placed on the coffee table by the couch ready. He glanced at the bedroom; he didn't want to wake her up she looked like she needed the sleep. He got up and walked to the bedroom, he stared at the woman twisted inside his sheets.

His hand touched her leg, gliding through her hourglass frame until he reached her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, Kakashi nervously laughed seeing he had woken her,

"Hey-Hey." He smiled,

"Hey." Sakura yawned moving to lay on her back, her eyes never leaving Kakashi. "What are you doing?" She wondered why he was up and moving so early. He smiled, getting up and moving into his bathroom. "Ok." Sakura muttered, rolling her back to yawn and stretch. Kakashi came out holding medical supplies in his hands. Sakura watched him sit beside her on the bed. He didn't ask permission as he pulled his shirt that she wore up exposing her stomach which had a white gauze on the side of it. "You don't-" Sakura went to stop Kakashi from changing the bandage.

"I'm already doing it." Kakashi turned and grinned at her. Sakura sighed, setting her head back on the pillow as Kakashi pilled the gauze from her skin. They were silent has he cleaned and began to redress the cut. "This doesn't look better from the last time I did this." He muttered.

"It is." Sakura said, Kakashi knew she was lying. He knew her constant moving around probably reopened this gash, she wasn't giving her body the time it needed to heal.

"You really should be-"

"I'm fine." Sakura said, moving her arm above her head. "You worry too much."

"If I don't worry about you, who will?" Kakashi questioned.

"That's the point." Sakura muttered; it was her job to take care of others she didn't need people worrying about her. Once this poison was out of her system, she could heal her body fully, so it was just a matter of time. Kakashi decided to ignore the comment, he didn't want to start a fight and her leave for who knows how long this time.

"Do you have any meetings today?" He switched subjects.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed, sitting up and getting off the bed.

"You have time to eat though?" Kakashi thought about all the food he made and didn't want to go to waste. Sakura glanced back at him and smirked.

"Of course." She smiled before walking into the bathroom. Sakura took a quick shower and was standing in front of the bathroom mirror half dressed when she noticed Kakashi leaning against the door frame. "What?" She chuckled, Kakashi walked into the bathroom placing himself behind her. She wore her black pants; her tank top and her long sleeve shirt was still on Kakashi's bedroom floor.

"Nothing." He said, bending down and kissing the love bite on her neck. "I did not mean to leave this." He muttered against her skin, Kakashi couldn't recall when he could have left this, but then again it was a very passionate and lustful night. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn't be surprised if he left a few more on her.

"It's fine." Sakura said, she knew her shirt would cover the mark. Kakashi held his hand out in front of her, 

"Hm?" She asked looking down seeing a silver key resting in his hand.

"For you." He said. 

"A key?" Sakura asked picking it up from his warm hand. 

"Just in case you need a place to go where people aren't trying to kill you." Kakashi smiled, "Or if you just want a quiet place to sleep, you can come here."

"Kakashi..." Sakura turned from looking into the mirror and look up at his unmasked face. 

"Are you ready to eat?" He asked,

"Yeah." Sakura said now that her long hair was tied back out of the way. Sakura and Kakashi sat on the couch as they ate breakfast in low conversation.

"You said you have another meeting today?" Kakashi asked, placing his plate in the sink. 

"Uh, Yeah." Sakura said picking up her phone and putting it in her pocket, she was now fully dressed and ready to kick start this day.

"What is it-" Kakashi stopped talking feeling Sakura's kiss against his cheek. He turned to her confused.

"I have to get going." She said, he could feel a breeze inside his apartment.

"What?"

"I have to get my soldiers ready." Sakura said,

"Ready? Ready for what?" Kakashi asked as wind began to collect around her.

"We are hitting another camp tonight." Sakura winked as the wind began to block her sight from him.

"Camp?" Kakashi muttered to himself, he quickly did the math and realized it was a reapers camp she was talking about. "Sakura!" He yelled but he was too late, the wind was broken and Sakura was gone. 

Kakashi's front door flew open, Carver and Raiden stood in the door frame looking around the apartment. The two soldiers turned to see Kakashi give a lazy wave. 

"She was here!" Raiden yelled walking into the apartment, "Where is she!?"

"Where is who?" Kakashi blinked. 

"What's going on?" Naruto yawned rubbing his sleepy face. He wore his pajamas and was barefoot as he walked into Kakashi's apartment. 

"Sakura was here." Carver informed him. Naruto perked up, 

"Sakura is here!?" 

"Not anymore." Carver sighed, 

"What?" Naruto groaned, "Why was she here and not inside your apartment?" He wondered looking from Carver to Kakashi.

"Why was she here?" Raiden wondered looking at Kakashi's masked face. He awkwardly laughed, cursing Sakura she knew they would sence her chakra and come running. She left Kakashi to deal with these three by himself. 

"I-I don't know what your talking about." Kakashi said, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your training sessions?" Kakashi tried to switch the subjects. 

"Your not getting out of this that easy." Carver crossed his arms over his chest. 

\----

Naruto was getting excited for Thanksgiving which was fast approaching since after a week of constantly bugging Kakashi had painfully agreed to do the cooking. Naruto knew Kakashi was an amazing cook, with great food on the line a room full of friends Naruto was pumped for the holiday! Naruto shoved his phone in his pocket after texting Sakura back, he had been getting advice from her about how to interact with Hinata. They had their second date tonight and he was a little nervous.

Naruto locked his front door; he heard another door close. Carver was locking up the apartment Tsunade had given to Sakura. Carver looked rough,

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked,

"Yeah, I am just not use to this new schedule." Carver yawned. Carver and Raiden decided to split up their sessions, Carver will take the morning group and Raiden will have the night session. They will switch every few days, Carver was walking to get to the arena with Naruto who was inside his class.

"What are we doing today?" Naruto wondered.

"You guys have gotten hand to hand combat down pretty good, but I want to work on your speed."

"Oh!" Naruto nodded, feeling excited to learn something new. He wanted to make Sakura proud of him when she returned to the leaf village, she had been gone for a while. Granted she did text back this time around and did a few video calls it wasn't the same as having her here. "Kakashi!" Naruto smiled, seeing the masked man walking down the street. He turned hearing his name,

"Good morning Naruto." Kakashi greeted as the two men reached him. "Off to training?"

"Yeah!" Naruto smiled,

"Where is Sasuke?" Kakashi wondered, normally Naruto and Sasuke were glued to each other at the hip.

"His training session is in the morning with Raiden." Naruto said, "Are you coming to watch us today!?"

"Tsunade asked me to join her." Kakashi said, closing his book seeing he wasn't getting anymore reading done.

"Granny is coming?" Naruto tilted his head.

"She wants to see how the progress is coming along." Carver answered, "A lot of other villages are pissed that Raiden and I are here training you guys."

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah." Carver sighed, "Gives me a fucking headache."

"Has Sakura talked to you about what she is going to do with the other villages?" Kakashi wondered as they made their way to the arena.

"Nope." Carver stretched his arms over his head. "No idea what she is-"

"Come on Choji-!" A familiar voice yelled out, stopping Carver from speaking. "I know you got a few more miles on those tires, let's go!" The three men looked at each other confusion clear as day on their faces as they bolted through the entrance of the arena, they skitted to a halt seeing her pink hair.

"Sakura!?" Naruto smiled finally seeing her. Kakashi's breath was knocked out of him as he took her in. Sakura was yelling at the leaf shinobi to run faster through the obstacle course that was set up.

"What the hell-!?" Carver yelled as Raiden waved to them.

"What?" He asked moving towards them.

"You could have texted me that she was here!"

"I'm sorry." Raiden laughed, "I forgot."

"You forgot!?" Naruto and Carver grilled into him.

"We were having fun." Raiden shrugged.

"Fun?" Carver raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Raiden laughed, "Sakura seems to be in a good mood, it's weird but I am not complaining."

"Alright!" Kiba bounced from his left foot to his right having completed the course. "Let's go!" He said pointing towards Sakura who laughed at his confidence.

"You sure you want to do that?" She asked watching Kiba in front of her.

"Just no-" Kiba thought for a moment, "-no weapons and no hitting me in the face!" Kiba said reaching to touch his nose remembering her almost breaking the damn thing.

"Alright." Sakura shrugged, she unstrapped her weapons pouch on her leg and dropped her sword on the ground beside her. "Your world, I am just living in it." She said waiting for Kiba to make the first move. Naruto took a step forward watching as the two began to fight.

"Should she be doing that?" Raiden wondered,

"Huh?" Naruto turned.

"We are barely up and running." Carver answered, "No way in hell she is in any better condition than we are."

"Oh..." Naruto said, turning back to Kiba and Sakura. Kiba flew forward, ready to hit Sakura and knock her out but when he blinked, she vanished.

"Eh?" He asked looking around.

"I really hope these are for Akamaru." Sakura's voice came from behind him. Kiba spun around and blushed seeing Sakura was holding a bag of dog biscuits. Kiba quickly touched his pocket, he didn't even feel her remove them!

"Of-Of course they are!" Kiba yelled, running at Sakura she side stepped him quickly kicking his feet out from under him. Kiba fell face first in the dirt, he sat up holding his nose.

"We said no noses!" He whined.

"I did not hit you." Sakura defended trying to hide her laugh. Sakura reached out her hand, Kiba looked at it and slowly took it. "You're getting better." Sakura smiled, causing Kiba to blush.

"Re-Really?" Kiba asked feeling bashful.

"Yeah, you don't completely suck now." Sakura laughed at Kiba's red face.

"Yeah she's in a good mood." Carver said as he and Raiden turned to Kakashi,

"Wh-What?" Kakashi closed his eye smiling.

"I-I never sucked-" Kiba's eyes widened hearing Sakura whistle and Akamaru came running.

"Akamaru!?" Kiba blurted, Akamaru didn't listen to anyone except him! He turned to Sakura with wide eyes.

"Dogs love me." Sakura shrugged, Kakashi perked up hearing this. "Work on your footing, and lay off the dog biscuits!" Sakura instructed turning from Kiba as she tossed the bag of treats behind her. Kiba caught them with ease as Akamaru waited for one.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled watching her walk towards them.

"Hey." She said,

"Your here!?" Naruto stated.

"Uh-huh." Sakura nodded, knowing where she was, Sasuke walked over joining the small group. "Looks like you guys are getting a vacation." Sakura said turning to Carver and Raiden.

"Er..." Raiden was confused.

"Really?" Carver perked up, "It's about damn time!" He laughed.

"Wait..." Raiden muttered, "...what kind of vacation?" Raiden's voice was slow and cautious. A large dome of air circled yards away from where they stood, everyone watched as it cracked apart like an egg.

"Ugh!" Raiden groaned seeing a waterfall village team resting inside it. "I don't like this prize!" He whined, "Can I get a different one?"

"Why is Hazel here?" Carver asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because I need you two to come with me." Sakura answered.

"Why?" Carver asked as Raiden glared as the five manned team looked around the arena waiting for Sakura's command.

"Who is that?" Sasuke muttered to Raiden.

"That-" He answered, gesturing to a long-haired brunette who was glaring at all the people around her. "-Is Hazel Aamir, she is one of Sakura's captains."

"Oh." Naruto said watching the woman who had a stone expression of anger on her face move towards them. Naruto felt chills run over his skin,

"Why do I get the feeling you don't like her?" Sasuke wondered,

"Because we don't." Raiden whispered back.

"Why?" Naruto asked,

"Hazel is great and all, loyal to Sakura and is one of the soldiers who won't try to kill her, but she is all work no play."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke wondered,

"Commander." Hazel dropped to her knee to bow. "Your orders."

"You and your team are going to remain here." Sakura said, Carver and Raiden snapped their eyes to Sakura. Hazel looked up confused,

"Commander?" Hazel questioned, needing more information.

"Carver-" Sakura, "-give Hazel all your paperwork on the Leaf shinobi and their progress."

"Sakura-" Raiden stepped in, but Hazel was faster she was on her feet and had her hand wrapped around his throat, Raiden reacted just as fast holding a kunai to her neck.

"Calm down." Sakura called annoyed. "Hazel stand back."

"Yes Commander." Hazel quickly backed away keeping her glaring gaze on Raiden.

"You two are coming with me." Sakura said to the two men, "I need you two to get teams together that can be sent to the other villages to train their shinobi."

"But-"

"You two are my best trainers."

"But we want them to stay here!" Naruto spoke up,

"They are not being transferred." Sakura turned to him. "I am just borrowing them for now, your villages training will not be affected by this."

"It won't?" Sasuke asked,

"No, I brought my best fighter." Sakura turned to Hazel. "Carver." Sakura called his name. "Hurry up."

"But-"

"The faster you put teams together for the other villages, the faster you two will be back here." Sakura said, Kakashi kept his gaze on Sakura's face. She hadn't so much as glanced his way.

"What is he giving her?" Naruto asked,

"They have been keeping tabs on you." Sakura said, nodding over to Carver and Raiden who walked towards a folding table where they kept all their things for training.

"Tabs?" Sasuke said,

"They didn't tell you?" Sakura replied, "Hm." That was interesting... "They keep record of your progress, strengths, weakness and so on. They are going to give that to Hazel so her team can take over training."

"Why can't she just go?" Naruto muttered not happy Carver and Raiden are leaving.

"Because she is a fighter, not a trainer." Sakura said, turning to watch Carver hand Hazel a large box of files.

"So-" Naruto quickly said, watching the waterfall team vanish. "-Sakura...?"

"Yes?" Sakura asked,

"Thanksgiving is in a few days..."

"Is it?" She hadn't realized.

"Yeah-Yeah..." Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck, "Will Carver and Raiden be back in time?"

"That depends on them." Sakura said, "It could take them two days or two weeks."

"Oh." Naruto said, "Well...are you—well would you...will you come here for our Thanksgiving?"

"What?" Sakura asked,

"Kakashi is cooking!" Naruto smiled reaching out and grabbing Kakashi's arm, "So the food is going to be good, and a lot of people are getting together, and it will be a lot of fun...would you be interested in coming?" Sakura glanced over at Kakashi; Sakura hasn't celebrated a holiday since she was banished from this village.

"Sure." Sakura shrugged.

"Re-Really!?" Naruto beamed.

"Yeah." Sakura gave a small smile.

"Awesome!" Naruto jumped, "Dinner is at six!"

"I'll be there." Sakura nodded,

"So will we." Raiden smiled, resting his elbow on Carver's shoulder.

"Someone is confidant." Sakura commented.

"Like you said-" Carver smirked, "-we are the best."

"Mhm." Sakura hummed, turning from the leaf shinobi. "Hazel!" Sakura called,

"Yes Commander!?" The burnette jumped from the sky causing Naruto to jump.

"Go easy on them." Sakura instructed as wind began to wrap around Sakura, Carver and Raiden.

"Of course." Hazel nodded as the dome of air shattered, leaving an empty space. Naruto sighed sad to see them go, Sasuke watched the woman known as Hazel stand and turned to the leaf shinobi. 

"Eh..." Sasuke said getting a bad feeling. "This isn't going to be good."


	22. Chapter 22

A white steamy bowl of ramen floated towards me, my mouth opened as I felt drool leaking down the side of my mouth, I could see a bounty of bean sprouts, green onions and chashu pork riding on top the back of a large helping of fresh noodles. I reached out, so close to getting my hands on the bowl-

"Get the fuck up!" A high-pitched voice caused my eyes to snap open, I rolled falling off my bed with my comforter wrapping around my legs.

"What-What the hell!?" I asked looking around quickly.

"Pathetic." I groaned sitting up seeing Hazel Aamir standing in front of me. "I don't know what those two morons were doing with you Leaf shinobi, but I am not as lazy. Get the fuck up your late for training."

"Why are you in my apartment!?" I jumped, getting caught up in my blanket and falling face first on my hardwood floor.

"Unlike Carver and Raiden, I don't take my job lightly. Commander Haruno gave me a task and I tend to complete it. Your late, get up."

"But-But-" I was so confused!

"Let's go before I drag you outside in your underwear for everyone to see!" Captain Aamir demanded, I jumped knowing she was not joking. They dragged Lee out of his house in nothing but his boxers and forced him to train like that. I grabbed my shirt, pants and shoved my shoes on. Captain Aamir grabbed me before I could do another thing,

"Hey-!" I protested, "-Let go!"

"Shut up." She demanded,

"Ugh!" I yelled as she dragged me to the arena. "It's Thanksgiving! Why are we training today!?" I saw most of my friends were here looking half asleep and stressed. The freaking sun wasn't even out yet! Sasuke was right, this has freaking sucked. It had only been four days since Captain Aamir, and her team of doom and gloom took over our training from Carver and Raiden and it has been hell. They force us to train sixteen hours a day! I glared as a masked shinobi locked a collar around my neck. They shocked us when we messed up or couldn't keep up, Carver and Raiden were nothing like this.

"Go!" Captain Aamir yelled, we had to run ten laps around the arena or get shocked and it fucking hurt, so everyone moved once she finished yelling. I could see Kakashi, Tsuande and other sensei on the roof of the arena looking down. Tsuande tried to end this hellish field day but Captain Aamir wouldn't hear of it, she said that for her to stop training she needed the order to come from Sakura herself. Tsunade said this was her village, she was the Hokage but then Captain Aamir counted with she wasn't a part of this village, and Tsunade wasn't her boss and that she can shove her orders up her ass and run a field goal. My mouth never dropped so fast before in my life! When Carver said they were going easy on us, I had no idea that they were really serious.

Captain Aamir and her goons ran us until my lungs screamed and my legs were jelly. My body never hurt like this before. I trained until I passed out when I was a kid, but these waterfall shinobi were cut from a different cloth than I was. They were relentless, we were feed once during the sixteen hours than ran our asses. A bottle of water and protein bar, you had four minutes to cram it down your throat or your fucked for the rest of the day.

"Ah!" I turned my head, Choji fell to the ground unable to keep up with the laps.

"Get up!" Captain Aamir yelled, Choji was panting as he laid on his side.

"I-I can't." Choji breathed.

"You can, you are just choosing not too!" Captain Aamir said as she hit the button, shocking Choji through the collar around his neck. Choji cried out, I heard Ino whimper behind me.

"We didn't tell you to stop!" A masked Waterfall shinobi snapped at us, TenTen and I continued our jog, but I couldn't stop looking at Choji who was still crying in pain.

"That is enough!" Tsunade boomed, jumping down from the ceiling. "I don't care who you think you are you have no right to treat my shinobi this way!"

"Like I said before-" Captain Aamir said getting in Tsunade's face. "I don't give a fuck who you are-" Kakashi pushed Captain Aamir back.

"You're not inside the Waterfall Village." Kakashi said putting his hands in his pockets, "You should mind your manners while your Commander is away."

"Ha." Captain Aamir and a few other waterfall shinobi laughed.

"I can see why Commander Haruno hated this village so much." A masked woman crossed her arms over her chest.

"Right?" Another agreed crouching down. "They are weak-"

"We are not!" I yelled, walking over towards them. I was tired of this! Tired of them looking down on our village and calling us trash!

"Get back in line!" Captain Aamir snapped.

"Hell no." I glared, "This is no way to train people-"

"You're only saying that because you can't cut it." A masked shinobi said.

"Oh yeah?" I challenged, "I bet I could take you-"

"You want to make that a bet that you little-?"

"Don't you dare touch my shinobi!" Tsunade cut in. "Get out of my village!"

"I don't take orders from you." Captain Aamir spat, "We were stationed here, we won't be leaving-"

"What the fuck!?" I snapped around seeing Carver marching towards us with Raiden close behind him. "What are you doing Hazel!? "

"It's Captain to you." She glared,

"Ha." Carver darkly laughed, "Not even in your dreams."

"Why you-"

"Sakura said take it easy on the Leaf shinobi!"

"This is easy." Captain Aamir rolled her eyes, I looked up like hell it was!

"You and your team are being pulled back to the Waterfall Village." Raiden stepped in front of Carver, blocking him from Captain Aamir and hoping to prevent a fight from breaking out.

"On whose order?" Captain Aamir placed a hand on her hip.

"Your Commanders." Carver said from behind Raiden.

"I didn't hear any-" Captain Aamir cut herself off seeing Sakura's seal light up.

"There's your call." Carver said, "Go." Captain Aamir smiled, walking towards the seal.

"I can't wait to tear you apart." Captain Aamir said as her team collected behind her.

"Go to hell." Carver spat.

"Where do you think I live?" Captain Aamir questioned as the wind wrapped around her. I watched her lift a black controller in her hand as a dark smile spread across her mouth. She hit the button and tossed it over her shoulder. "Until next time." She nodded; it took a second until I heard the light beep. My eyes widened as I looked at Carver. The collars went off on everyone, my hands reached up to my neck as pain radiates down my body. I dropped to my knee as Tsunade touched my shoulder, I felt the electricity twisting through my body, I bit down my jaw as I embraced the scorching pain.

From the corner of my eye I watched Raiden scoop up the controller and turn it off. I breathed, falling to the ground as the pain stopped. Carver dropped down beside me, quickly removing the metal collar.

"Man..." I breathed, "...am I happy to see you." I lightly laughed as Carver smiled, Kakashi leaned down making sure I was ok as Carver and Raiden removed the collars off everyone else.

"What the hell kind of bitch is that chick?!" Kiba coughed, holding his neck.

"That's Hazel for you." Carver muttered. "She is a different breed."

"That-" Tsunade shook her head, "-is a kind way to put it."

"I'm sorry guys." Carver sighed, "We tried getting back as soon as we could."

"Where is Sakura?" I asked looking around,

"Dropping off the teams we made for the other villages, she said she will be here later." Raiden smiled, "Are you guys ok?"

"No!" TenTen cried, "My body hurts, my bones feel like jelly! Why didn't she go easy on us like Sakura told her to do!?"

"Well..." Raiden trailed off.

"Shut up." I said, "That was easy?!"

"Kinda." Carver shrugged.

"How!?" I yelled, "That was insanity!"

"Yeah." Carver nodded, "That is how our training is."

"Sakura trained you all like this?" Lee wondered,

"Yeah." Raiden nodded,

"How the hell-?!"

"Because that is how she was trained." Carver said, cutting Shikamaru off.

"Alright!" Raiden clapped, "I think you guys have done your time." He chuckled. "How about you have the rest of the week off?"

"Yes!" TenTen cheered as she laid down.

\----

Kakashi was inside his kitchen cooking as the rest of us sat on the couch having been banished to the living room. I peeked over the back of the couch glaring at Kakashi's head. He wouldn't let me nipple on anything, he wouldn't let me have a taste or even let me lick the spoon! He wouldn't let anyone leave because he knew we were all starving so if we left, we were clearly going to have a snack but he said that would ruin our dinner so we were grounded to the couch! I was a grown man! If I wanted to leave and have four cups of ramen as an appetizer I should be allowed too!

The closer the clock ticked to six the more excited I felt. Kakashi was beginning to set the table, his apartment smelt so good! I was so excited I am starving! Raiden was sucked into the TV screen, the moon village had a large parade that I watched every year, one day I hope to see the parade in person.

After a slow twenty minutes of my stomach hitting me in the gut to feed it and begging Kakashi for a snack Raiden snapped up.

"Get your stuff!" Raiden jumped off the couch, I looked over biting my nails.

"Huh?" Carver asked, not gazing away from the screen.

"Get your shit!" Raiden yelled running out of the apartment, Carver looked confused but moved to follow Raiden. I looked back at Kakashi as he sat the turkey on the table, he and I didn't let a heartbeat pass before we were already following them into the space that they made their home inside this village.

"Raiden what-?!" I asked as I walked in, my team behind me wondering the same thing I was.

"Dawn texted me." Raiden said quickly scrambling his gear on and grabbing his weapons.

"Ok?" I said, "And?"

"There wasn't much detail." Raiden responded, "All she said is stand by, Sakura is opening a seal for us to return to the Waterfall Village."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, Raiden looked him dead in the eye with a stern face.

"Because the Waterfall Village is at war." With those words he turned and ran past us with Carver behind him.

"Wa-War!?" I yelled running after them, they didn't respond the entire way to the arena. I quickly gazed around expecting her glowing seals, but we were greeted with an empty dark field.

"I'm confused." Carver said, "Why isn't the seal lit?"

"I don't know!" Raiden said quickly pulling his phone from his pocket. It was cold out tonight; I could see my breath as the chilly wind blew through my thin long sleeve.

"Who attacked them?" Sasuke breathed into his hands as I shivered.

"No one." Raiden shook his head at his phone.

"Little more detail would be nice!" I said, Raiden looked up at me.

"The Waterfall Village is at war with itself."

"What?" I breathed,

"A civil war?" Kakashi asked, "Why-"

"Sakura." Raiden said, "I didn't get much detail, but a group rose up against Sakura is started a fucking revolution."

"Dawn texted you?" Carver asked,

"Yeah." Raiden breathed, "Yes!" He said as his screen lit up, showing someone answered the phone. I quickly pooled around him as did everyone else.

"Diem!?" Carver called, "What in the hell-?"

"Son of a bitch!" Diem, Sakura's third commander cursed as I heard an explosion erupt through the phone line.

"What is going on over there!?" Raiden yelled.

"I don't know!" Diem spoke, "Everything was fine one second and the next everyone is at each other's fucking throats!"

"Why?" I found myself asking.

"They are going after Sakura what fucking else!?" Diem snapped; my heart dropped into my stomach. I looked at Kakashi, expecting him to smile at me and tell me everything will going to be fine. He looked just as cold washed as I did. "I can't fucking find her!"

"What do you mean you can't find her!?" Carver yelled. "You have one job-"

"I am not in the mood for your sarcastic bullshit Carver!" Diem yelled, "It's a fucking war zone over here right now! I can't find Dawn, Sakura or even fucking Kaguya!"

"Where is Hazel?" Carver asked, "Why did she-"

"Last I saw she was keeping the soldiers who went bat shit crazy away from the citizens."

"Get us over there!" Raiden shouted.

"If I fucking could I would! I have no idea where Sakura is!"

"Didn't she give Dawn the order to get us ready?" Carver asked,

"I don't think so, I think that was all Dawn." Diem said as the sound of gun fire echoed through the phone.

"Are those gunshots!?" Raiden looked pale.

"No-!" Diem asked, "They are our fucking church choir, what the fuck do you think!?" I was beginning to see why Carver didn't like Sakura's third in command. "Look, I don't have time to chat with you while I am trying to stay alive, stay by Sakura's seal if I find her, I will let her know your standing by!"

"Wait-!" Raiden yelled, "Diem don't hang up-" Raiden cursed as the call ended.

"Fuck!" Carver yelled, walking away from us running his hands through his thick hair. The Waterfall Village was far away, without Sakura's seal it would take us days to reach them. I looked around the dark empty arena as I realized all we could do now is something I hated the most, it was one of the hardest things a shinobi can do...wait...

\----

The sun lifted itself up in the sky, lighting our surroundings. It had been hours and still nothing. We called and texted Sakura and the other commanders of the waterfall village nonstop throughout the night and we got nothing in return. I was internally freaking out, I kept telling myself that not hearing something was a good sign. Sakura was strong, she would deal with a simple civil uprising...right? But the annoying little bastard in the back of my head would always leak thoughts into my mind like, what if she wasn't responding because she was hurt...what if she needed us and we were just sitting here playing with our thumps?! What if...what if she was worse than hurt...

Tsunade joined our group a while ago, as did a few others. Guy tried to lift our spirits, but it was hard to when you knew your friends was trapped inside a war and there was nothing we can do except sit here. I licked my lips as my stomach gurgled again, I was starving but I couldn't move. I needed to be here when Sakura's seal lit up, with my luck the second I move to go home she will call and boom! When I get back no one would be here, they would all be inside the waterfall village fighting.

Hinata came once the afternoon came, circled around us and left. I felt bad, we had a lunch date, but I was thankful she understood that I needed to be here. If Sakura needed me then I will be ready!

"This is very rude!" Raiden yelled at his phone as he called Sakura again, but no one picked up. I sighed as my ass hurt from sitting on this cold hard ground for so long. I would stand but I was already so freaking tired, and hungry! I could feel my stomach trying to eat itself! "Who does something like this!?" He continued to yell at his phone as if it was going to answer him. I loved Raiden but damn he was giving me a headache.

I laid on my back, looking up at the soft clouds passing my us without a care in the world. I was so excited for our Thanksgiving dinner...all that food went to waste!

"I don't think she is coming." Neji muttered after another hour, it was the late afternoon. Tsunade sighed, hating the fact she agreed with Neji.

"Your right." Carver nodded.

"What!" I jumped up, not expecting to hear him agree.

"Either Sakura got it under control and that is why she hasn't open her seal to bring us there or..."

"Or?" I breathed, don't say it Carver...tell me she is as strong as I think she is, and nothing can bring her down.

"Sakura was taken down in the strike last night."

"Why are the other two Commanders not responding?" Neji wondered, yeah that was a great question! What the hell!?

"Because." Raiden shook his head; he didn't like the thoughts racking around inside his head.

"Because?" I asked slowly,

"Chances are if they were able to take Sakura down in that fight then that means they turned and went after Dawn and Diem."

"Why would they do that?" Hinata breathed.

"Same reason they go after Sakura."

"Their title?" Guy asked.

"Yeah." Carver said clearing his throat, I knew I didn't know a lot about him, but I knew Carver enough to know he was hiding something from us. "We need to go." Carver said.

"Go?" Tsunade asked,

"Yeah, we need to start making our way to the Waterfall Village." Raiden said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because." Raiden sounded like something inside him broke, he gazed into the sky and then turned towards us. "Because if we get to the village, and she is fine and just ghosting us then great, making that trip is better than walking around this village stir crazy waiting to find out if my friend is alive or not."

"And the other option?" Sasuke asked, he felt the same thing I did.

"If...If they killed Sakura and the other Commanders then they strung their bodies up for display-" Raiden spat the truth out, my stomach rolled as I was taken back. I knew my face showed all the shock and horror on it. "-and we need to get her body and bury her because that is what she would do for us."

"I'll come." Kakashi offered,

"Me too." I said,

"Yeah." Sasuke nodded. Carver and Raiden just nodded; they didn't even fight us like I thought they would. I looked over at Tsunade, she looked sad which for her was a little different. Tsunade was always so strong and loud...sadness didn't match her features very well.

"Go." Tsunade nodded, "Don't let those bastard display her like a fucking trophy, when you put her to rest you five better get your asses back here."

"Tsunade?" Raiden asked,

"I fucking mean it." Tsunade pointed to Raiden and Carver, "I will come after you myself!"

"Yes ma'am." Raiden nodded, I watched them turn and begin their way home. I followed; I now had a mission. I turned to Hinata who simply nodded, understanding the fact that I needed to go. I blinked a few times as I walked away from her; I didn't want her to see the tears in my eyes. I didn't want to go on this mission, I wanted Tsunade to tell me no, I couldn't go I needed to stay here and protect the leaf village from the reapers. I didn't want to go on a mission to discover if my friend was alive or not...I didn't want to walk into that village and see her hanging in a tree or whatever those sick fucks would do to her. I also couldn't just sit by knowing she could be gone, and her body being used as a fucking trophy. I was going to kill whoever the fuck did this to her! That village...that hell on earth needs to be burnt to the ground and wiped off the face of this earth!

"One hour." Carver called as we stepped off the elevators of our apartment building. I nodded, one hour to get ready to go find out if my friend who I just got back into my life is alive or dead...Happy Thanksgiving to me...

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

Kakashi closed his front door and leaned against it for support. He ripped his mask down, feeling as if he was suffocating in it as he took in long deep breaths. His body was trembling as he stared ahead of him, it wasn't the cold air or lack of food that had him shaking. Flashes of Sakura's smiling face tormented his memory as he took steps to go pack a bag in order to travel to the waterfall village. The thought of her being striked down was too much for him to bare. He only got a taste; he wasn't ready for her to be taken away. His imagination ran wild he could see Sakura being killed, a sword running through her beautiful body spilling her sweet blood then she is tied up, her arms above her head like he did to her in his bed. Her soft pink hair blowing through the wind as she was used as a symbol, Kakashi shook his head. This was going to torment him until he knew for sure what had happened last night. Kakashi walked into his bedroom to change, he pulled his phone to his ear trying to call her again.

Kakashi dropped his phone, he stared at the body in his bed. He heard buzzing on the floor from another phone as Kakashi walked to the side of his bed, he reached down and gasped. Sakura was breathing as she slept in between his sheets. Kakashi's legs were numb as he fell to the side of the bed, he wrapped his arms around her pulling her up into his chest.

"Hump." He heard her protest, but he didn't care his heart was leaping with joy. "Kakashi?" Sakura sounded half asleep.

"Your alive!" He breathed looking into her sleepy eyes.

"Yeah?" She said slowly, "So are you?"

"No-" Kakashi shook his head, "-you were--what happened last night!?"

"Ah, I am sorry I wasn't here. I just got busy-"

"Your village attacked itself, that isn't being just busy!"

"Wait-" Sakura shook her head, "How-How do you know about that?" She asked,

"Raiden got a text from Dawn and then Diem filled us roughly in on what was going on." Kakashi said, running his hand through her hair. "They said they were going to find you to open a seal so Carver and Raiden could be brought over."

"I...I am going to kill them." Sakura sighed.

"You're ok?" Kakashi asked, quickly looking down at her body. He loved the fact she wore his shirt, that piece of clothing never looked better.

"Yeah." Sakura yawned, "Don't worry, I am-"

"Your side-!" Kakashi saw a thin line of blood peeking through the white gauze.

"It's fine-" Kakashi quickly put Sakura back on the bed. "Ow." Sakura said, feeling her side quickly being bent back to being straight. Kakashi reappeared and began redressing her side ignoring Sakura's protest.

"You should have called us." Kakashi said, "Everyone was panicking."

"I didn't know you guys knew." Sakura defended,

"You should have called me either way."

"I handled it-"

"You don't need to handle it alone!" Kakashi snapped, Sakura wasn't used to this side of Kakashi,

"What is the big deal-?"

"I am in love with you-!" Kakashi said, "-Hearing that the woman you love is a target is hard enough and knowing people inside her own village want to kill her every day is a challenge. So, you going days or weeks without responding to one of us makes me a little uneasy."

"Kakashi..." Sakura breathed.

"We were all getting ready to travel to the Waterfall Village." Kakashi said as he pulled his shirt down on Sakura. "Naruto, Sasuke, Carver, Raiden and I were all going to go there to make sure your body wasn't disgracefully hanging in the middle of the street looking like some fucked up prize!"

"Kakashi I...I wasn't going to tell you-"

"That's another problem." Kakashi placed his hands on both sides of her body as he leaned closer to her. "I want to know what is going on with you, I don't care how bad or how good I just need to know because if I don't know what is going on how can I help you?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you guys knew." Sakura repeated. Kakashi leaned forward, kissing Sakura as he cupped the side of her face.

"I love you Sakura." Kakashi breathed against her lips, Sakura opened her eyes and saw Kakashi was watching her like a puppy waiting for a treat. Her mouth dried up and her throat swelled shut, was it too late for her to return to the waterfall village and go back to being hunted?

"I..." Sakura trailed off not knowing what to say or do. "Uh..."

"Kakashi!" Naruto banged on the front door; Sakura sighed in relief as Kakashi stood. He pulled his mask up and looked back at the pink haired goddess that was turning into the center of his world. She slowly got up from the bed looking sore and tired. Kakashi looked at her up and down, she had messy bed hair, his baggy shirt which fell to her mid-thigh.

"You're not walking out in that." He stated, Sakura rolled her eyes and pointed to her bag laying against the wall. Kakashi fished out a pair of baggy pajama bottoms, she slipped them on. Kakashi noticed her stiff movements, Carver and Raiden still hurt from the iron village attack how could she possibly feel? Kakashi walked into the living room to unlock his front door.

"Hey Kakashi." Naruto breathed, "Are you ready-" Naruto's heart jumped seeing the pink hair woman standing behind Kakashi looking half asleep. "Sa-Sakura?" Naruto breathed. Kakashi stepped back letting Naruto fly into the apartment like a bat out of a cave. "You're ok!?" He cried, pulling Sakura into a painfully tight hug.

"Yeah." Sakura said patting his back. "I'm good."

"Alright!" Carver yelled walking into view. "What the fuck!?" He said dropping his bag dramatically. "I am getting too old for this shit!"

"Sakura!" Raiden cried running and latching onto Naruto's hug.

"Alright." Sakura sighed after a moment, "Stop touching me."

"We thought you were hurt or worse!" Raiden sniffed, "Be nice to us."

"I get that, I am sorry I didn't know you guys were contacted but I am a little sore." Naruto and Raiden instantly let go hearing she was hurt.

"How hurt are you!?" Raiden said as he dragged her to sit on the couch.

"I am not hurt." Sakura muttered, "Just tired, I want to go to bed."

"Yeah-" Raiden laughed, "-no, tell us what the fuck happened!?"

"Ugh." Sakura sighed, "I have had maybe an hour of sleep in the past three days, I just fought a good three dozen of my own soldiers I am pretty sure I can smell sound at this point, I am fucking tired!"

"Your fine." Raiden brushed off.

"Ugh." Sakura huffed rubbing her numb face. Kakashi sat beside Sakura, her knee which was pulled up rested against his leg. He wanted more, he wanted to reach out and pull her into him but he didn't know if he could...he told her he loved her, the words just spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them. It wasn't like he wanted to take them back but maybe she wasn't ready to hear those three little words, he didn't want to spook her.

"Sakura-" Raiden said looking around, "-why were you sleeping in here and not our apartment?" Naruto and Carver muttered in agreement; they were confused too. Sakura glanced over at Kakashi,

"Wait..." Carver said slowly, looking back from between the two adults. "...are you...are you two fucking?" He asked, Naruto and Sasuke instantly looked up and towards Sakura who licked her lips leaning slowly against the back of the couch feeling sore as fuck.

"Yeah." She answered, shocking everyone including Kakashi.

"You-You and Kakashi are-!?" Naruto's mouth dropped open as he quickly looked from Kakashi to Sakura in an endless loop. "What...what? No, no...that...that's odd! No, Oh! No, no...no really? Really...Really? No!"

"Why?" Sasuke asked ignoring Naruto's endless ramble, his eyes sharp as he glared into Kakashi's laid back masked face.

"How!?" Naruto added like his statement was more important.

"You really want me to explain the birds and the bees to you?" Sakura wondered.

"No-No! I know how sex works I just want to know how you could sleep with him!?" Naruto corrected. "He is still our sensei!"

"He is not mine." Sakura corrected.

"He knew you when you were just a kid." Sasuke said,

"Yeah, so do you and you still want to fuck me." Sakura bluntly stated, Carver spit up some of his water he was drinking.

"That is different." Sasuke said, "He was an adult when we were kids, he mentored you!"

"Kakashi did you have a thing for Sakura when she was still here?" Naruto asked, feeling gross and a little dirty. Kakashi didn't respond he just remained silent; in fact, he was feeling guilty. He wanted to reach out and touch Sakura, he felt a need to apologize to her, maybe his actions were inappropriate. Kakashi sat against his couch as a guilt he didn't know he had begun to weigh down on him. He felt like a disgrace to his headband...was this how his father felt before he took his own life?

"Sakura is younger than all of us." Sasuke went on, "She is still a child in a lot of ways, how could you take advantage of her-" Sakura snapped her eyes onto Sasuke, what the fuck was he saying now?

"I stopped being a kid the day Tsunade sent me out of this village to die." Sakura snapped rising to her feet. She was pissed, anger laced her tired bones as she glared down onto Naruto and Sasuke. She was not a child; she will not sit here and be treated as such. "I am not a child." She spat out, "I built a village from nothing and became the Commander of it, don't look down on me just because I may be younger than you."

"Sakura, we know." Naruto said, "It is just a little inappropriate of Kakashi-"

"Why?" Sakura asked, "I am a grown adult, I will fuck who I want to and I don't need your fucking permission to do it."

"But he is your-"

"He is your sensei?" Sakura cut Naruto off, "He was never mine."

Sakura stormed out of Kakashi's apartment and into the one she was borrowing. Sakura walked right to the fridge and pulled out a cold glass bottle of beer. Carver walked in, he closed the door lightly and moved to where Sakura stood her back facing him. Carver grabbed a beer with a sigh, hopping up to sit on the counter next to the sink.

"I knew you didn't hate him." Carver said after a second, "I had no clue you were fucking him though." Carver laughed opening the bottle.

"Yeah well, I am." Sakura said, she wouldn't look at Carver. Why did she feel as if she has been doing something wrong?

"Is it just sex or is it something more?" Carver asked slowly testing his waters. Sakura sighed, turning to lean against the fridge. "Because in there-" Carver pointed towards Kakashi's apartment, "-it looked like something more."

"I thought it was just sex." Sakura shook her head,

"Is it not?" Carver asked,

"He told me he loved me..." Sakura sighed.

"And...do you love him back?"

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged.

"Sakura..." Carver huffed reading her face. "I know Kaguya beat a lot of shit into your head, she trained you to be a soldier and a war machine but you're not just those things." Sakura didn't respond. "I thought we showed you that?" Carver said remembering back to when their full team was alive and well.

"I was..." Sakura said playing with the bottle in her hand. "I was seeing that...with him."

"Then what is the look on your face for?"

"I don't know."

"Are you ashamed of him?"

"No." Sakura scoffed, "If anything he should be ashamed of me."

"Sakura-"

"I never thought I would be in this type of situation." Sakura said out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"After accepting the title of Commander inside that village and after my parents died..." Carver was lightly shocked, Sakura never spoke of her parents. "...I never wanted to get close to another person again."

"And the Nine came and fucked all that up!" Carver laughed making Sakura smile.

"Yeah." She agreed, "Then they started to die and..."

"And that is when you decided that enough was enough?" Carver guessed, having felt the same thing. "Grave after grave, you got tired of burying your friends and vowed to not get close to anyone else because that level of pain that damn near knocks you on your ass wasn't worth it?"

"Yeah." Sakura said,

"Yeah I was like that too...that's why I was so cold towards the Leaf shinobi. It took a lot to let me open up and I love it here Sakura, we forgot underneath all that loss that it is worth it."

"Where are the other idiots?" Sakura asked seeing the apartment was empty and no one followed Carver.

"I thought they were right behind me?" Carver said, Sakura pushed herself off the fridge. She walked out of her apartment and opened Kakashi's door; she could hear them grilling Kakashi about the things he shouldn't be doing. For a moment it was like she checked out of her head, she placed the beer on the coffee table and grabbed Naruto's arm and the back of Sasuke's shirt and dragged them out of the apartment. She tossed them into the hall as Raiden willingly followed them without having Sakura force him out.

"Sakura!?" Naruto protested.

"Fuck off." She said shutting and locking the door on their faces, she turned seeing Kakashi had stood. There was guilt swimming in his eyes, and he refused to look at her. she shook her head moving towards him, guilt didn't belong in those eyes.

"Sakura." He said her name as she reached up and pulled his mask down, his touch was so gentle on her arm. Sakura ignored him as she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss that quickly grew hungry.

Sakura laid in Kakashi's large bed her breathing hitched as Kakashi laid under the sheets in between Sakura's legs. Her heart was pounding as waves of pleasure washed over her, drowning her away from her thoughts. Her body felt hot as her back arched feeling Kakashi slid a finger into her and begin pumping.

"Ka-Kakashi-" Sakura breathed feeling two more fingers being added as Kakashi licked and sucked at her womanhood. Sakura moaned as Kakashi reached out grasping her sensitive breast in his large hand. He seamlessly glided up her body as he positioned himself in her opening and thrusted into her. Sakura moaned as she pulled against the straps of his headband which tired her hands above her head.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice floated into the steamy bedroom. Kakashi opened his eyes, he thrusted harder into her pulling her mind back onto him and not on the outside world. Kakashi leaned down, kissing her roughly he forced his tongue into her mouth.

"Sakura-!" Raiden banged on Kakashi's front door. "We have a problem!"

"What?" Sakura breathed as her eyes fluttered open. Kakashi sighed, slowly his pace before pulling out. He gazed down at the naked body underneath him, as he untied Sakura's hands.

"Are you sure she is here?" A deep male voice questioned Raiden.

"I don't know." Raiden muttered, "I thought she would be."

"No." Sakura said, touching Kakashi shoulder with a shake of her head.

"What?" He was confused.

"Don't stop."

"But-"

"Trust me." She said, knowing that male voice and knowing who it belonged too. Kakashi didn't need convincing as he thrusted back into her taking Sakura by surprise, she gasped out placing her hands on his bare chest.

"Your so wet." Kakashi breathed into her ear, "This is where you belong, right underneath me." He groaned as he pumped himself into her until they both finished.

Sakura reached over Kakashi checking her phone on the in table, she cursed under her breath.

"Everything ok?" Kakashi asked,

"Tsunade is in a meeting with a village leader." Sakura said,

"Which one?"

"She didn't say." Sakura sighed getting up, she turned to Kakashi. "I don't mean to smash and dash..." Sakura lightly laughed, "I just..."

"I know." Kakashi smiled watching as Sakura got dressed, she watched him get up from the corner of her eye. She watched his toned muscles and the way they bent and move as he walked up behind her. "You can use me in any way you want." Kakashi's hot breath fanned her ear sending shivers down her body. Kakashi grabbed her neck leaning her back as he kissed her deeply, exploring every inch of her mouth. He left her breathless as he pulled away, a smirk played on his lips seeing the blush on her cheeks. "Can I walk you there?" He asked.

"Uh-Huh." Sakura said clearing her throat as she went back to getting dressed.

"Why do you care Tsunade is talking to a village leader?" Kakashi thought out loud.

"Because the other villages are paying for my teams to be inside their village." Sakura explained as she did her belt, "I don't need villages on my ass if they find out the Leaf Village isn't paying for Raiden and Carver."

"I thought Tsunade did pay you for you to be here." Kakashi said pulling his shirt on, it should be a crime for a body like that to be hidden by clothing.

"Erm-" Sakura shook herself out of her lustful thoughts. "-yeah Tsunade did months ago for me to help eliminate a threat and go on a mission with you."

"So, you posted Raiden and Carver here for free?"

"Yeah." Sakura shrugged,

"Carver and Raiden are fine with-"

"They are being paid." Sakura said,

"By whom?"

"Me." Sakura said like it wasn't a big deal, she grabbed her phone off the in table and looked at Kakashi, "You ready?"

"Yeah." He smiled pulling up his mask.

Sakura and Kakashi made their way to the Hokage Tower, they enjoyed the quiet silence as they walked the chilly streets of the leaf village. Kakashi nodded at a passing shinobi, Sakura never noticed how popular of a man he was, but she could see why.

"Where is Tsunade?" Kakashi questioned Shizune, who chuckled as a response.

"Conference room." She answered walking past them.

"Was that odd to you?" Sakura asked,

"Yes." Kakashi nodded as they walked through the halls to where Tsunade was.

"Why not Tsunade!?" A high-pitched voice scratched Sakura's ears, she internally groaned,

"Fuck me." She breathed not wanting to go into that room, she knew that voice and who it belonged to.

"I just did." Kakashi smirked under his mask seeing Sakura's unamused glare. "But I'll go again."

"There you are!" Sakura and Kakashi turned seeing Naruto, Sasuke, Carver and Raiden jogging towards them.

"We have been looking for you!" Naruto whined, "Where have you been!?"

"Kakashi's." Sakura nodded towards him.

"Ha!" Carver laughed, "I was right."

"We were there for like an hour waiting for you then, what the hell were you two doing?" Naruto asked, Carver cleared his throat looking away from the group as Sakura pulled her lips together turning from the men and walked into the conference room. Tsunade was standing looking at a large white screen that took up a large portion of the wall.

"I have already given you my answer." Tsunade spoke to the stone village's leader Onoki, one of Sakura's least favorite people.

"They have grown to strong, and the Reaper is unpredictable! They need to be taken down a peg-!"

"Not this again." Sakura rolled her eyes, Tsunade turned hearing her voice.

"Sakura?" Tsunade breathed watching as Sakura moved to stand beside Tsunade.

"So good to see you again, Onoki." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest.

"Re-Reaper!?" Onoki gasped, "What-What are you doing inside the Leaf Village!?"

"What I do is none of your damn business." Sakura responded, Naruto chuckled a little.

"I hear you have been dropping off teams in every village in order to train them." Onoki said, "Where is mine?"

"Excuse me?" Sakura laughed,

"Where is my team Reaper?"

"Um, I am not sending one to you."

"Why!?" Onoki yelled,

"Because I don't like you?" Sakura shook her head as if that was clear as crystal. "You have been trying to gather a following in order to attack my village, why the fuck would I send a team to better train your shinobi?" Sakura uncrossed her arms. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"But-"

"Alright gingerbread-" Sakura cut Onoki off, "-Lets just cut to the chase, you know I'll be the one responding to any strike so why not cut out the middleman and you and I go a few rounds?" The power the seeped off Sakura had Kakashi wanting to pull her out of this room and go another round with her. "If you come out and play we can make friendship bracelets." Sakura was taunting him.

"Well-Well-" Onoki stuttered, rambling off excuses as to why he should remain in his office as he sends his shinobi out to fight his battles. Sakura turned her head to look out the window feeling a familiar chakra. Carver turned his head feeling the same thing as a dreading feeling grabbed his spine.

"Oh shit." The words fell out of Carver's mouth before he could stop them. "Sorry!" He said as Tsunade, Sakura and Onoki turn their attention onto him. "Ignore me."

"What the fuck?" Sasuke mouthed as Carver shook his head telling him to shut up.

"Well!" Sakura raised her voice, causing Tsunade to jump. "I just realized I don't give a fuck so-"

"Wha-What?!" Onoki gasped,

"You want to try and attack my village; you know where I live." Sakura nodded as she turned to leave but she stopped as a smile bloomed on her lips catching Kakashi's attention. Sakura looked back to the monitor, "Maybe I will just cut right to the point and come after your village first."

"Wh-!?" Onoki gasped as he turned blue. "You-You'll start another shinobi war! I will have everyone rain down on your head so fast-!"

"Oh, don't threaten me with a good time." Sakura smiled, "This wouldn't be my first war and it damn sure won't be my last, but at this point it's all routine, it's the same fight just with different people dying."

"I'm not afraid of you Reaper!" Onoki said but his face was pale, and his eyes were wide.

"You think you'll see me coming?" Sakura questioned as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, letting the threat soak into Onoki. Raiden grabbed Naruto's jacket as the five men followed Sakura like a herd of sheep. Sakura walked out of the tower, the wind quickly found its way through her long hair as she turned, she seen two of her black op's members looking at her confused.

"Sakura-!" Annora smiled at the pink haired commander. Sakura's mouth was lightly agape seeing the two missing members of her unit who didn't answer when called.

"Carver!" Zander waved; he was the voice outside Kakashi's door.

"What-" Sakura stopped talking looking around at the crowded street. "Go." She pointed to her left.

"Huh?" Zander said as Sakura roughly pushed Annora and Zander towards the training grounds which should be empty this time of day. Zander bounced beside Raiden who kept his eyes to the ground, he could feel the anger seeping off Sakura as they all moved towards the leaf training grounds.

"Sakura?" Annora turned once they were alone from by standards.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Sakura snapped; Naruto shirked back seeing her glaring eyes.

"Wha-?" Zander was taken off guard.

"I pulled all the teams back to the Waterfall Village; your team has been missing for weeks!"

"I know-"

"If you fucking knew why haven't you contacted Dawn or Diem!?"

"Because..." Zander looked at the grass.

"Because!?" Sakura yelled,

"We were running after Ian." Annora sighed,

"Ian?" Sakura said, "Where the hell is he?"

"I don't know." Annora shrugged, "I thought I tracked him to this village, but I guess I was-"

"You were right." A deep voice called turning everyone's head. Naruto looked at a tall man walking towards them, he had perfect skin and handsome face with dark hair the brushed over his eyes. His eyes are what drew Naruto in, one blue and the other green. "I am here."

"Ian!" Zander smiled waving to his teammate.

"Where have you been!?" Annora yelled,

"Around." He shrugged, "I heard some shit went down inside the village, what happened?"

"If you were where you were supposed to be you would know." Sakura scolded them.

"Commander." Ian bowed his head, "Beautiful as ever I see." Kakashi perked up, looking from his book to the man who was standing three feet too close to her.

"You had orders-" Sakura ignored Ian's flirting.

"We did them!" Zander reminded Naruto of Raiden.

"But then you didn't get back to the village."

"Well...no..."

"I'm sorry Sakura, this is my fault-" Annora stepped up.

"Your damn straight it is." Sakura snapped,

"Sakura-!" Tsunade waved pulling Sakura's attention off her black ops team in front of her. Sakura sighed seeing the leaf Hokage walking towards her. "-what did you need to talk to me about?" She wondered, Sakura turned to Annora and her team.

"Stay." She ordered walking away from them to explain to Tsunade that she needed to keep the fact the Leaf village wasn't paying the Waterfall Village for Raiden and Carvers training.

"So!" Zander smiled, "How have you guys been!?" He asked with a bushy smile, Naruto raised an eyebrow seeing a lot of similarities to Raiden. Zander kind of reminded Naruto of a knock off character of Raiden. Naruto smiled at his thoughts.

"My question-" Ian's voice caused Naruto to turn to their conversation. "-why is Sakura in this village?" Ian asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?" Naruto asked turning to face the two eyed creep, Kakashi walked away from the group of bickering kids and went to stand beside Sakura as she spoke with Tsunade.

"Your village is boring." Ian smirked, "There are no attractions, no night life nothing that would draw someone like Sakura to this dusty little arm pit of a town."

"That isn't true!" Naruto furrowed his face feeling anger that, yet another person is trashing his village right in front of him!

"Ian you're being a dick." Carver muttered.

"I am just being honest!"

"It is kinda weird." Zander agreed.

"Why are you three here?" Raiden asked, Carver waited for an answer also wondering this question.

"Your changing the subject." Zander said,

"I am not, you are!" Raiden scuffed.

"Is she at least getting laid in this town?" Annora asked bored.

"Yeah right." Ian laughed like she would fuck someone from this-

"She is actually!" Raiden really wanted to knock Ian down a few pegs.

"What!?" Annora laughed, "No way!"

"Yeah." Raiden nodded pointing to Kakashi. "Him."

"Him?" Ian and Zander said together.

"Why?" Ian looked Kakashi up and down. "He is so boring-"

"That is a man." Zander said as his eyes trailed along Kakashi's body.

"What?" Ian laughed, "I am more of a man than he is!"

"No." Zander shook his head. "That-" He pointed to Kakashi, "-is a whole ass man, while you are..."

"I am what?" Ian said feeling defensive.

"...your more of a hairless boy compared to him." Zander smiled.

"I-I am not!" Ian argued as the men around him laughed, Annora rolled her eyes but gazed at Kakashi's masked face. Sakura told him he was nothing to her, Annora quickly looked away as Sakura and Kakashi walked away from Tsunade.

"You three-" Sakura pointed towards Annora and her team. "-Let's go."

"Go?" Annora asked,

"Yeah, your getting back to the fucking village and when I get there, I will deal with you three then."

"Yes Commander." Zander said, Naruto looked over seeing a glowing circle form on the dirt a few yards away. He gasped knowing that was Sakura's seal! She can just summon them whenever she wanted!?

"See ya later beautiful." Ian winked at Sakura as he followed Zander. Kakashi had hard eyes on him.

"Annora." Sakura called, nodding her head for Annora to walk over to where she stood, the captain quickly did as told.

"Ye-Yes?"

"Get your fucking team together." Sakura warned.

"I know, but Ian just took off-"

"He is not the captain of this team." Sakura's voice was low and sharp. Naruto was happy he was not on the cutting end of it. "-You are."

"Yes Commander." Annora nodded,

"I'm not joking Annora, get your team together before I do it for you." Sakura threatened, Annora nodded and quickly moved inside Sakura's seal. Naruto watched as the dome of air wrapped around the waterfall team sending them miles away.

"Sakura-?" Naruto was about to step forward until Carver placed a strong hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked behind his shoulder confused, all Carver did was shake his head no. Kakashi ignored them as Sakura pulled out her phone and placed it against her ear.

"Sakura?" Dawn answered,

"Did you get my present?" Sakura asked turning to walk towards team seven, Carver and Raiden. 

"How could I not!?" Dawn growled, "You sent them into my office! Paper is everywhere-"

"Put a team on them." Sakura stated, a team would shadow them without them knowing Sakura had a nagging feeling in her gut.

"A-A team? You have got to be joking!"

"Do I sound like I am joking?" Sakura asked,

"No."

"They don't leave the village, I want to know everything they do."

"When are you going to be back?"

"When I get back." Sakura hung up the phone, she looked up at Raiden's hurt puppy dog eyes.

"You don't think Annora, Zander and Ian would really do anything to hurt-"

"I don't know." Sakura cut Raiden off.

"But they have been our friends for years!" Raiden defended them.

"People change." Sakura said.

"They survived just as much fucked up shit as you did-" Raiden wouldn't drop it like Sakura hoped he would, she turned to look him dead in the eyes.

"You don't trust a person until you know what they survived." Sakura knew Raiden didn't know the half of what those three shinobi did to survive Kaguya's trails, Sakura kept them at arm's length for a reason.

"So..." Carver awkwardly trying to change the subject, "...who needs a drink?"

Everyone raised their hand.


	23. Chapter 23

December rolled in with its snowy weather before anyone was ready. Sakura gazed out the window of her house watching the light snow falling from the cloudy sky. She had three large stacks of paperwork to finish before she had to be outside in that weather training her own soldiers today. She sighed, leaning against her chair as her laptop sat in front of her.

"Are you ok?" Kakashi teased, Sakura rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee.

"Peachy." Sakura answered, looking at Kakashi through the video chat. "How is your mission going?" Sakura asked,

"Pretty good, besides the light fighting between Sasuke and Naruto it's been pretty mellow." Kakashi smiled as he held his phone out looking at Sakura's pretty face. "How is it over there?"

"About the same." Sakura shrugged.

"No more civil wars threatening to break out?" Kakashi laughed,

"Not that I know of." Sakura promised.

"Has Naruto called you?" Kakashi asked, looking back at the sleeping blond who was curled up in his sleeping bag as close to the fire as he could be without being roasted alive.

"He calls me more than you do." Sakura joked, "He told me."

"He hasn't stop talking about it." Kakashi smiled,

"He is excited, I don't think I have ever seen Naruto with another woman. Which I think is surprising since his best friend is the Leaf Villages biggest whore."

"I haven't either." Kakashi agreed with a chuckle.

"So, the fact he has a girlfriend is refreshing. Maybe Hinata can mellow him out."

"Possibly." Kakashi agreed,

"Or he could break Hinata." Sakura muttered laughing with Kakashi at the light joke. Sakura ruffled her hair before pulling it back into a hair tie.

"You have to go?" Kakashi asked,

"Yeah." Sakura sighed, "Those people won't train themselves."

"Be careful."

"Always."

"I'll talk to you tonight?"

"Yeah, be careful out there." Sakura smiled at Kakashi before ending the call between them.

\----

"Commander." A soldier bowed; Sakura turned looking over her shoulder as sweat coated a thin layer over her skin.

"What?" She asked turning towards the soldier seeing her phone in his hand.

"This has been going off for about an hour now."

"Oh?" Sakura took the phone. "Thanks." She muttered as the soldier quickly excused himself.

"Ah fuck!" Diem laughed, "Who's sky is falling down on them today?"

"Everything ok?" Dawn asked shooting Diem an annoyed look, Sakura saw Naruto's name flashing through the screen. It was still early in the day, Kakashi wouldn't have set up camp just yet...

"Erm..." Sakura waved, "Continue without me, I'll be back." Sakura said answering the phone.

"Naruto I can't talk right now-"

"Kakashi's hurt." Naruto's voice blurted sounded a little winded.

"What?" Sakura felt alarmed as her body tensed and her stomach squeezed, she had just spoken to him this morning... "Where are you!?" She demanded.

"Well he isn't like hurt hurt, but he overused his mangekyō sharingan and it took a lot out of him."

"What happened?"

"We ran into a couple of those Reapers." Naruto said as Sakura cursed in her head, she didn't feel their seals activate...did they really hold their own without her help? Maybe Carver and Raiden's training were really working with the leaf shinobi.

"Are you ok?" She asked,

"Sasuke and I are fine but Kakashi got that stuff in his system like you, they can't heal him."

"Is he hurt other than from his sharingan?"

"He has a cut from a sword across his chest..." Naruto sounded like he was about to break into tears. Sakura looked around at the people all around her fighting each other, aiming to kill even though this was just a training exercise. Sakura had a meeting tonight that she could not miss, if she went and got team seven there would be no chance that she could just drop them off at the leaf village...she would get stuck there. "Sakura?" Naruto's voice was shaky.

"Everything is going to be fine." Sakura stated, "I have to go but-"

"Sakura no! I-I don't know what the doctors are saying, and this village is creepy, and they don't know how to put the fucking heater on! It is freezing!"

"Calm down." Sakura said, "I will be there soon."

"Really?" Naruto sniffed.

"Yes." Sakura hung up the phone. Sakura groaned, rubbing her tense shoulder turning to see her commanders were watching her. "Shut up." She said as they quickly looked away. Sakura turned to a nearby soldier, "You-" She pointed.

"Yes-Yes Commander!?" The soldier jumped under Sakura's intense gaze.

"Go to the infirmary and tell them to get three beds ready."

"O-Ok?" She said quickly jogging away.

"Everything good?" Dawn asked from behind her.

"Does her face tell you she is ok?" Deim asked earning a punch from Dawn. "Ow!" He whined "Sakura!"

"I will be back." Sakura said,

"Really?" Dawn and Diem sighed,

"We should get that on a fucking t-shirt!" Diem muttered Sakura shot him a warning look.

"I'll be back with plenty of time for the meeting."

"We need to get a move on." Dawn said, "Reaper camps are never in the same place for long and we are so close at finding their hideout."

"Tell someone who doesn't already know." Sakura said, "I found most of that information."

"Alright." Dawn backed off knowing when to shut up.

"Who are you whisking off to save this time."

"Training-" Sakura pointed as wind collected around her, "Go."

"Yes Commander." Dawn and Diem sighed as Sakura vanished again.

"We really should sell those t-shirts." Diem turned to Dawn, "It would be funny."

"She would kill you." Dawn said,

"Yeah...but it would be worth it!"

"Ugh." Dawn shook her head.

Sakura was able to pinpoint where team seven was through the seals that she had placed on them, which they may not know about. Sasuke and Naruto stood from their metal chairs seeing a small dome of air collecting inside the hospital room.

"What the hell!?" Sasuke yelled over the screaming wind.

"I don't know!" Naruto moved to protect Kakashi who was asleep on the small hospital bed. The wind shattered around Sakura leaving her standing inside the village hidden in the haze. She hated this small village; it was gloomy and depressing. She wasn't sure why she hated it since it matched her personality so well.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled moving forward hugging her tight.

"You ok?" She asked him he had a few scrapes and bruises, but he would be fine.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded with a smile, but it faded as he turned to Kakashi. "He took most of them on..." Sakura moved past Naruto and walked to Kakashi's side. Sakura didn't like this; her heart was tight as she gazed down at his bandaged chest. She reached out and touched his shoulder, trying to wield her chakra into his body to heal him so his eyes would open. After a second, she shook her head.

"Nothing?" Naruto sighed,

"The sword he was hit with had to of had the poison on its blade." Sakura said moving to the front of his bed and looked at his charts. Her eyes kept glancing up at the masked man, her stomach was sour and threated her with vomit as she stared at Kakashi's unmoving closed eye.

"Can I help you?" A voice turned Sakura's head.

"Yes." Sakura nodded, "You can transfer everything you have on team seven to the Waterfall Village."

"Excuse me?" The woman scoffed,

"If you can't understand that, get me someone who can." Sakura snapped, there was no chance in hell she was leaving Kakashi in a rat hole such as this one.

"I am the head-"

"Fantastic." Sakura said, "Transfer the files."

"The Waterfall Village is way too far for these men to travel-"

"They won't be traveling." Sakura said as her eyes shifted into their beautiful Christmas wreaths.

"Re-Reaper." The woman gasped.

"You can send me a bill for the bed." Sakura nodded towards Kakashi as a large amount of wind was collecting inside the room.

"What-?" The woman was confused as the force of the wind made her turn her head shielding her eyes and face. "They are not stable enough to-" The woman turned back as the wind vanished, the woman gasped seeing an empty room with a missing hospital bed that Kakashi was laying in. Naruto looked around feeling the cold winters air, they stood outside a large cream-colored building as a team of people wearing all white stood at the entrance waiting.

No words were said as the team of trained medics moved forward with a clean stretcher. With Sakura standing in the backgrounds with her sharp eyes watching every move the medics nerves were on edge. They lifted Kakashi onto the stretcher and quickly wheeled him inside the hospital. Sakura was the last to enter the building, she watched as Naruto and Sasuke had people flock to them to quickly in order to do a workup. The two men almost protested until their gaze met Sakura's, daring them to complain. Naruto quickly shut up and allowed the hospital staff to poke and question them.

Team seven was placed in a private room, Kakashi still remained unconscious as he was wheeled in after Naruto and Sasuke who were determined to be fine. Naruto wanted to tell Sakura he told her so but with the hard look on her face he decided to just remain quiet. After checking Kakashi's vitals one last time the nurse talked out leaving team seven and Sakura alone.

Sasuke looked at her up and down, she wore tight fitting leggings, a sports bra with an unzipped hoodie over it. Sasuke was drooling as he took his rare opportunity to stare at her body.

"Sakura?" Naruto muttered, playing with his fingers. "We are sorry-"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Sakura cut him off, pulling a chair and sitting across them by Kakashi's side.

"But we-"

"Your alive-" Sakura said, "-that's all I care about."

"What were you doing?" Sasuke wondered it was winter, and she was dressed like that.

"Huh?" Naruto wasn't following.

"I was training." Sakura said leaning forward in the chair.

"In that?" Sasuke wondered.

"Do you want me to put you in the hall?" Sakura questioned Sasuke who blushed and looked away from her gaze.

"You look tired." Naruto muttered seeing she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Yeah well..." Sakura sighed; she had been chasing the Reapers around the fucking nation. She felt a strong chakra presence behind the closed door. Sakura slowly stood as she took one last look at Kakashi's masked face before moving to open the door. Naruto saw two large men wearing masks similar to Kakashi's.

"You two are to stay here." Sakura ordered team seven as the two men moved into the room, one stood by the window and the other by the door.

"Who are these-" Sasuke was about to ask,

"These two will be watching you." Sakura answered.

"But where are you going?" Naruto didn't want her to leave, but Sakura ignored them and looked at her two soldiers.

"They don't leave this room." She ordered; the two men bowed their heads as Sakura left the room in a huff of air. Naruto groaned leaning back in his chair as he cursed in his head.

Naruto glared at the guard standing by the door to their hospital room. For the past eight hours Naruto had been non stop whining to them, he was hungry and wasn't allowed to leave the room to search for food. The guards would not leave to get food for team seven, Naruto then turned to bugging the two waterfall soldiers about where Sakura went, why she left two guards in their room and when would she be back?

"If you tell him where she went, he will shut up." A deep voice croaked out; Naruto turned seeing Kakashi stirring as he tried to sit up.

"Kakashi!" Naruto smiled quickly moving to his side. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Naruto." Kakashi smiled with his eye, "I just used my mangekyou sharingan a little too much, where are we?" Kakashi looked around the room.

"The Waterfall Village." Sasuke answered not looking up from his phone.

"The..." Kakashi trailed off, they were at least a week of traveling away from this village, how on earth-?

"Sakura brought us here." Naruto said seeing Kakashi's confusion. "We were able to get you to the Haze Village since your chest wouldn't stop bleeding. After you were stable, I was finally able to contact her and here we are."

"Where is she?" Kakashi leaned against the pillow behind him.

"I don't know!" Naruto flipped around to the guard. "They won't tell me!"

"And they are...?" Kakashi trailed off,

"Sakura posted them here before she quickly left afterward." Sasuke said, "That is all we know."

"I see..." Kakashi nodded, once again he was so close to her and yet so far at the same time. A couple more boring hours passed filled with Naruto's whining voice. One guard's eye was beginning to twitch in annoyance.

"Naruto-" A voice shut the hyper blond up, Sakura turned to the guards. "-your excused."

"Yes Commander." The two masked men bowed and quickly took their exit.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled watching Sakura move towards them. "Where have you been?"

"I heard he woke up?" Sakura looked at the sleeping masked man lying in the white hospital bed.

"Er...yeah for a little bit before falling back asleep." Naruto said. Sakura nodded, and moved to sit in beside Kakashi.

"Hey-" Sasuke said, annoyed she wasn't telling them where she went and why she left them with two guards for so long. Sasuke touched her shoulder but quickly pulled it away, feeling a wet sensation coat his fingers. Naruto gasped seeing the bright red against Sasuke's pale skin tone.

"It's not mine." Sakura called before the two could freak out, "I would wash that off-" Sakura pointed to Sasuke's hand.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked,

"Calm down." She sighed as her eyes felt heavy, her body relaxed hearing Naruto's high-pitched voice and Sasuke's annoyed mutters as he scrubbed his hands in the sink. Her eyes were beginning to close on their own feeling Kakashi beside her, she felt safe as she leaned forward.

"Sakura!?"

"Shh..." She whispered; she could smell Kakashi's familiar scent as she felt his hand under hers. "You're in a hospital." Sakura's eyes closed as her head laid on Kakashi's bed, sleep grabbed her tightly dragging her under its hazy fog.

Kakashi woke up, for a moment he was confused. He didn't hear Naruto or Sasuke, and the fact he couldn't hear them bickering was another red flag. Kakashi opened his eyes, her soft pink hair caught his eye first. He looked over at Sakura who was leaning forward, sleeping by his side. He removed his hand from under hers and touched the top of her head.

"She was exhausted." Naruto whispered.

"Huh?" Kakashi turned to him.

"She got here a few hours ago and basically passed out."

"Where did she go?" Kakashi questioned.

"She wasn't awake that long." Sasuke said, "But she is coated in someone else's blood, so it isn't hard to figure out."

"We walked around the hospital for a while and was able to piece together some information." Naruto said with a yawn, "Something about a Reaper lead or something."

"We think she went after one of the leaders." Sasuke summed up, "A camp or whatever, it explains why she left so quickly after pulling us here."

"I see." Kakashi nodded, running his fingers through her long hair. Naruto frowned, not knowing how to feel about this picture. Kakashi's exposed eye was so soft as he gazed down at her, Naruto has never seen him look at another person like this before...

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on Kakashi's hand touching Sakura. He hated the fact Kakashi touched her so openly. Sasuke loudly cleared his throat trying to break that tender look out of Kakashi's eye but instead Sakura snapped her eyes open hearing the sound, she quickly spun around throwing a kunai in Sasuke's direction.

"What the fuck." Sakura stated, seeing it was only Sasuke behind her making the ruckus. Sasuke's eyes were wide as her silver kunai pierced his shirt's sleeve pinning him to the wall. Naruto's mouth hung open.

"You-You could have killed him!" Naruto jumped quickly reaching Sasuke's side.

"If I wanted him dead, I wouldn't have missed." Sakura rolled her eyes at their dramatic behavior.

"M-Missed!?" Naruto placed a foot on the wall as he tried to pull the kunai. "What the fuck!?" He cursed at the weapon that refused to move.

"What is this!?" Sasuke yelled as the two-leaf shinobi tried to remove the kunai. Sakura smirked at them before turning to face Kakashi. Once his sight was in her eyes her heart fluttered, she licked her lips and cleared her throat trying to avoid his gaze. She rose to her feet.

"Are you ok to move around?" She asked without looking at him.

"Yes." Kakashi answered.

"Alright then, let's go." Sakura said.

"Go?" Naruto called, "Go where?"

"Do you want to stay here?" She asked,

"No!" Naruto hated hospitals, Sakura chuckled at him as Kakashi slowly removed himself from the bed and found his shoes. Sakura sighed as she lifted Kakashi's bag, he tried to protest but she ignored him.

"Come on." Sakura said to the two men who were bickering about the kunai.

"We are stuck!" Naruto yelled, Sakura walked up and removed the kunai with ease.

"Wha-?" Naruto breathed watching Sakura leave the room.

"You can stay here-" Sakura called as Kakashi followed her,

"We are coming!" Naruto said quickly grabbing his back and following her. The four walked through the waterfall village. Naruto was amazed by how beautiful this place was, he pointed out multiple waterfalls as well was buildings. As Naruto and Sasuke looked at the surroundings, Kakashi watched the people. They all moved away from them or completely got out of the way, they feared Sakura. Kakashi glanced at her as she led them through the village. Yes, she could be a scary person, but she was sweet and caring...why did this village fear her so much?

After ten minutes of walking through a thick forest on a small dirt path they stumbled upon a blue two-story house. Naruto watched as Sakura moved past the fence and up the stairs.

"Where are we?" Naruto wondered.

"My house." Sakura answered.

"Your-Your house!?" Naruto was shocked,

"What?" She laughed looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door, "Did you think when I was here, I just morphed into the surrounding area?"

"Well no..." Naruto muttered but he never thought she would have a house, with like walls and windows and stuff...team seven turned around hearing a cracking sound behind them. There stood a masked ninja, belonging to the waterfall village. Kakashi turned and saw Sakura had her eyes locked into the soldier. He looked in between the two and realized this shinobi was deciding if he wanted to challenge her or not. Kakashi was about to reach out, he wanted to pull her into him and keep her safe, but the ninja shook his head and vanished from sight.

"Sakura?" Naruto muttered, having noticed what was going on like Kakashi had done. Sakura ignored them and walked into the house, stepping aside as teams seven moved their way inside looking around as they dropped their bags on the hard wood floor.

"So this is where you live?" Sasuke asked looking at the interior of the house.

"Yeah, when I am in the village." Sakura nodded; her arms crossed over her chest. Her left shoulder felt swollen and sore from her recent fight, this fucking poison.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked opening his bag.

"I am not here much." Sakura shrugged, turning to sit on the couch.

"Aw!" Naruto whined, "I forgot pjs!" Naruto sat on the floor pouting to himself.

"Go check upstairs." Sakura said,

"Huh?"

"Carver and Raiden have rooms up there."

"They live with you?" Sasuke called from the kitchen, he was hungry.

"They stay here when they are in the village." Sakura watched as Kakashi sat beside her, holding his chest as he leaned down sitting just inches from her.

"Do you have any food inside this house?" Sasuke asked walking into the living room, "There is nothing of nutritional value inside that kitchen."

"Do you have anything of nutritional value inside your kitchen?" Sakura countered.

"We-We are not talking about me!" Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Like I said-" Sakura rolled her eyes. "-I am never really here."

"Why?" Sasuke wondered,

"I travel a lot." Sakura shrugged, she turned hearing Naruto coming down the stairs. He held up a dark blue jacket that held feathers and a box full of buttons.

"Please tell me this is Carvers!" Naruto laughed.

"Nope." Sakura shook her head.

"Aw..." Naruto said disappointed, he wanted to make fun of Carver when they got back. "It does look more like Raiden's style." He sighed.

"It's not Raiden's either." Sakura said,

"Huh?" Naruto said looking at the jacket.

"It's Finns." Sakura explained.

"Who?" Kakashi wondered as he was drifting off, but the sound of another man being inside Sakura's house upset him.

"My teammate on the Nine who died." Sakura clarified.

"You still have their stuff?" Sasuke wondered looking at the jacket.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed, "I tried getting rid of some of their things but when I did Raiden freaked out and so I just left their rooms alone. It seem easier."

"Easier for them who are rarely here?" Sasuke asked, how selfish could Raiden be? Sakura was the one who had to live here with her dead friends belongings constantly reminding her of them. 

"I didn't care since I am never really here." Sakura shrugged it off, turning to look at Kakashi who was dozing on the couch.

"Come on." She patted him on the shoulder.

"Hm?" Kakashi hummed.

"You should sleep in a bed and not on a couch." Sakura replied waiting for Kakashi to stand. She lead him into a dark room with a large bed, he sighed laying on the soft surface.

"What room is this?" He wondered getting under the thick blanket.

"Mine." Sakura said, Kakashi looked back over to her.

"Join me." Kakashi smiled,

"I have some things to do." Sakura said, Kakashi sighed reaching out to her as she turned to leave the room he was able to grab her arm. Sakura hissed at the pain in her shoulder.

"Your hurt." Kakashi stated as Sakura's mind replayed the moment she jumped in front of Dawn protecting her from getting her arm sliced off but in return her shoulder got dislocated.

"I am not." Sakura ignored him breaking free of his grasp. "Get some sleep."

"I'll sleep better if your with me." Kakashi winked causing Sakura to roll her eyes as she left the room. She glanced back seeing Kakashi was already beginning to doze off, his sharingan really must have taken a lot out of him.

"Hey Sakura." Naruto smiled his head popping up from the couch. "Kakashi ok?"

"Yeah." Sakura answered, "He needs to sleep this off."

"I bet!" Naruto laughed,

"Hey Sakura..." Sasuke said slowly has he gazed out the window. "Why are there people standing outside?" Sakura quickly moved to Sasuke's side as saw a group of eight people standing outside watching the house.

"Get to Kakashi." Sakura said,

"What?" Naruto asked standing.

"Why?" Sasuke asked,

"Because." Sakura replied picking up her sword, "If they are able to get past me then they will come after you three."

"What for?" Naruto wondered,

"To kill you." Sakura bluntly stated, "Now go!" She ordered as she opened the front door.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled but Sasuke grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room Sakura put Kakashi in. "Sasuke!?"

"This is her village." Sasuke stated, "We need to listen to her, if we go out there we could get her killed."

"But..."

"I know it's hard but we have to stay inside this house."

Naruto and Sasuke watched from the bedroom window with large eyes. The eight soldiers jumped, striking to kill Sakura waiting for an opening to steal her title. Sasuke noticed the man from earlier was inside this group, he was scouting them.

"I can't believe this is happening." Naruto breathed tightening his fist.

"I don't understand why this place is like this." Sasuke muttered back, he could hear muffled words as if they were chanting something while attacking Sakura.

"We need to get her out of this place." Naruto and Sasuke jumped hearing Kakashi behind him.

"You-You should be laying down!" Naruto lectured but Kakashi ignored them, his eyes were on Sakura as she killed her own men.

A deep breath left her lungs as she stabbed herself before walking into the house, Sakura was tired and didn't have the energy to deal with any more soldiers gunning after her, so she wrapped a seal around her house. Sakura opened her front door and instantly groaned, seeing team seven standing and waiting for her.

"What?" She said flatly as she locked the front door.

"What do you mean what!?" Naruto shouted, "You-They...You just killed eight f your own men!"

"You already knew about this." Sakura said taking her gear off her body.

"Yeah but...like...this is madness!" Naruto yelled with his arms stretched out wide. "Why the hell is this place like this!?" Sakura sat on the couch feeling her shoulder throbbing,

"I don't want to have this conversation." Sakura sighed feeling a Naruto headache coming along. 

"But...why do they attack you like that?" Naruto ignored her, "Why do you allow this?! Why does Kaguya allow this to go on!?"

"Because she likes it." Sakura replied.

"Er...what?" Naruto was caught off guard.

"What is purgatory?" Sasuke wondered, it was one of the words those eight soldiers were chanting before they were killed. Kakashi snapped his head up, he knew that word. Naruto noticed Kakashi's reaction.

"Kakashi?" Naruto muttered, "What-"

"Why are you asking about purgatory?" Kakashi turned to Sasuke.

"Well what is it?" Sasuke countered. "And how do you know what it is?"

"Purgatory was a place years ago; it caught a lot of attention from the Sand Village. They turned to us for help on figuring out what the hell it was."

"Did you find out?" Naruto wondered,

"We never went to investigate, the Sand Village was closer so they took it upon themselves. When the teams who made it back reported in the best, they could describe it was a place of suffering and misery. The village leaders were going to get together to storm the place and wipe it off the face of the earth, but out of nowhere the Sand Village said purgatory was gone and that the Waterfall Village had already beat us to it." Kakashi explained turning to Sakura, "But that isn't true, is it?"

"No." Sakura said,

"This village is purgatory."

"Yes." Sakura confirmed,

"I don't understand anything you just said." Naruto said sitting on the floor looking up at Kakashi and Sakura who sat on the couch.

"Before I took over as this villages Commander, this place was known as purgatory which is why Sasuke you heard them yelling it at me. Half the village wants to revert back into what we use to be, it is why they attack me and try to steal my title."

"If they become Commander..." Sasuke figured out, "...then they will bring this Purgatory back?"

"Yes." Sakura sighed,

"What was Purgatory and why did it freak out the other villages?" Sasuke asked,

"We were stronger." Sakura said, "We were ruthless, and we killed for fun, this village was a slaughterhouse."

"Kaguya allowed that?" Naruto breathed, "She wants that back?"

"Yes."

"But can she-"

"I liked it too Naruto." Sakura cut in.

"Wha-What?!"

"I liked the hunt; I liked the endless pit of fighting and blood shed. Pieces of me still do." Sakura shrugged.

"I...I..." Naruto's mouth hung open, who was this woman and where was the real Sakura.

"But the Nine snapped me out of it, I got in control and saw how this village wasn't working and that it wasn't something this world could handle. So, I became Commander and changed things, I saw the potential of what this village could be. A lot of people were not happy and still are not, Kaguya was the most unhappy and she was the one who said if someone can kill me then they could take my job and revert the Waterfall Village back into Purgatory."

Sakura watched as team seven was trying to absorb this information.

"On the bright side-" Sakura spoke back up pulling team seven's eyes back onto her, "-the side that doesn't want me dead is bigger than the ones who do." That didn't make team seven feel better.

"Why don't you leave?" Naruto whispered, "Come home with us?"

"I can't."

"Why!?" Naruto shouted, Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's overly emotional face as he went to gaze out the window to see if he could spot anymore people watching the house.

"Because...I made those people who want to kill me into what they are." Sakura smiled, "I can't simply walk away from them, what kind of person would that make me?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, "How did you make them into what they are? They are people who have free will and who make their own choices!"

"Alright." Sakura sighed standing.

"Huh?"

"I am tired and I need a shower." Sakura flashed a grin before walking around the couch, "Carver and Raiden's rooms are next to each other. Just walk up the stairs and they are the first two doors on the right. I don't think they will mind of you crash in their beds for a night."

"Sakura-"

"Good night Naruto." Sakura waved walking out of the living room.

"Ugh!" Naruto was so frustrated!

Sakura walked into her room, pulled out clean clothing and moved into the bathroom beside her room. She turned on the water giving it time to warm up as she went to take off her shirt. She locked her jaw as her shoulder refused to lift, she sighed leaning against the wall. She was covered in dirt and dried blood; all she wanted was a hot shower and sleep.

"Need some help?" Sakura turned seeing Kakashi, she stepped back as her heart stopped seeing he was standing in the doorway naked, his chest covered with gauze.

"You should be getting to bed." Sakura said looking away from him, Kakashi shrugged moving in front of her.

"Maybe a shower will help me fall asleep." Kakashi smirked as he pulled the fabric on her shirt up.

"You are not-"

"Up we go!" Kakashi said lifting Sakura's shirt over her head. Kakashi saw the patches of dried blood on her skin but no wounds the blood really wasn't hers, this made Kakashi feel better.

"Kakashi-" Sakura protested as he moved them into the running shower, her eyes scanned over the white gauze on his chest.

"I read the box-" He smiled; "-my bandages are waterproof."

"I can wait for you to finish your shower-"

"Why can't we save water?" Kakashi asked, leaning down placing a soft butterfly kiss on her sore shoulder.

"We have already had this conversation; this doesn't save water." Sakura grumbled making Kakashi chuckled.

"But this is more fun." He breathed standing up straight looking down at her annoyed face, her cheeks were flushed as she refused to look at him. Kakashi cupped the side of her face bringing her eyes to his. "Look at me."

"How is your ches-" Sakura couldn't finish her sentence, Kakashi kissed her. He felt happy, she came to his aid, refused to leave him inside the haze village and brought him to her home so she knew he would be safe. He knew Sakura didn't like showing emotion, it was hard for her to express them. Her coldness towards others was the only way she knew how to interact with other people. Now that Kakashi knew Sakura lived in Purgatory, he understood her and her actions a little better; he understood why she was tied to this village in the annoying ways she was.

"My chest is fine." Kakashi smiled quickly kissing her forehead.

"You-" Sakura started but Kakashi pushed her head under the running water, Sakura's eyes closed as the hot water ran through her hair and down her face. Kakashi laughed at her expression, "-not funny." Sakura muttered.

"It kind of was." Kakashi said, running his fingers through her hair.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to wash your hair." Kakashi said,

"Why?"

"Can you?"

"Yes."

"You can't lift you shoulder, how are you going to wash your hair?"

"I will figure it out." Sakura said being stubborn. "I always do."

"But you don't need too." Kakashi replied, "I am right here to help."

"I don't need help-"

"Shut up." Kakashi grinned as he pushed her face under the water getting her long hair wet so he could shampoo it. Sakura glared up at Kakashi's unmasked face as he reached for her bottle of shampoo, he lathered his hands before applying through the strands of her pink hair. "Is this so bad?" Kakashi asked after watching Sakura's relaxed expression as she allowed Kakashi to wash her hair, her hands rested on his arms. She opened her eyes instantly going from relaxed to annoyed in 0.1 seconds. Kakashi smiled, noticing she doesn't like when people point out when she appears to be in any positive emotion. Sakura squirted water from her mouth at Kakashi, he laughed as he looked down at the fiery girl with pink hair.

Sakura had her back to Kakashi as she still pouted in bed. Kakashi smiled, wrapping his arm around her and pulled her close to him. He didn't care the cut across his chest stung at the touch he just wanted her close. Sakura smiled to herself feeling Kakashi's strong grasp around her.

Sakura opened her eyes looking around her darkened room, it was this moment she realized she wanted to surrender to the emotions running around inside her chest. She wanted more than what this village had to offer. She wanted more than to just survive in this world and wait for the next fight. She wanted more moments with this man in her life, Sakura turned her head to look at Kakashi. He opened his eyes feeling her moving, he saw she was watching him.

He smiled at her.

It was true she liked the darkness, the excitement of not knowing what could be lurking around the next corner. Something about the cold quiet was terrifyingly beautiful to her. And Kakashi knew this, he saw the sorrow behind her smile, the love behind her anger and the reasons behind her silence. Kakashi saw Sakura's true colors and loved her for them anyway. Knowing that Sakura felt ready to wave her white flag and finally accept the fact she had fallen in love with this silver haired, mask wearing, public porn reading closet pervert.

Sakura smiled at Kakashi's confused gaze, she moved into his embrace, snuggling her face in his neck as she closed her eyes. They both had their own baggage to bare but maybe they could both be a mess together...


	24. Chapter 24

"Achoo!"

"Bless you." Shizune said walking into the Hokage's office.

"Thank you." Tsunade sniffed, "Shizune?" Tsuande called looking through the piles of unorganized papers on her desk.

"Yes Lady Tsuande?"

"Have you seen the supplies report from Dr. Yu?"

"I have not, she was supposed to turn it in this morning."

"Ugh!" Tsunade groaned rubbing her face. "How am I supposed to order the supplies they need if she doesn't give me the list!?"

"How about I go over to the hospital and get it from her?" Shizune offered,

"Yes, thank you!"

"I will be back." Shizune bowed her head and quickly leaving the office. Shizune walked briskly through the village, she spotted Naruto and Sasuke walking towards the training grounds together. She wanted to stop and wave but the sooner she got those reports from Dr. Yu the less of a chance Tsuande would explode.

Shizune got to the leaf village hospital and quickly looked at the surgery board, she wanted to see if Dr. Yu was in any surgeries that would have prevented her from turning in her forms, but she wasn't scheduled any operations for the day.

"How odd..." Shizune muttered, walking away from the nurse's station and checked Dr. Yu's office but came up empty handed again. "Excuse me-" Shizune pulled a passing by nurse.

"Yes?" The nurse questioned.

"Do you know where Dr. Yu is?"

"Last I heard she got pulled into an emergency surgery, my case load as doubled because of it."

"But her name wasn't on the board."

"If it's an emergency then it wouldn't be updated." The nurses explained, "I think I heard something about operating room four being in use, try there."

"Thank you." Shizune nodded turning on her heel as she made her way back downstairs to the first level of the hospital. Shizune sighed, this was her exercise for the day. Shizune grabbed a mask and put it over her face before entering operating room number four. Shizune looked around at the minimal staff, what was going on? Where was everyone?

"Dr. Yu?" Shizune walked more into the room, as she did Shizune's heart skipped seeing the pink hair flowing down the metal table. "What-What!?" Shizune gasped, "What happened to Commander Haruno!?"

"Nothing." Dr. Yu waved off, "She is stable and going to be fine."

"Then why on earth are you operating in secret!?" Shizune accused, the low number of staff inside this room made sense to her now, why her name wasn't on the board. This surgery was going to look like it never happened. Dr. Yu sighed, turning her head and looking at the short black-haired woman.

"Am I going to have a problem with you?" Dr. Yu asked, thinking back to this morning when Sakura Haruno, commander of another village walked into her office...

~~ Earlier Today ~~

Knock...Knock...

"Come in." Dr. Yu called from her desk; the door opened revealing the last person Dr. Yu was expecting to see.

"Commander Haruno?" Dr. Yu stood, "Everything alright?"

"Yes." Sakura smiled, "The sky isn't collapsing just yet."

"Well that is a relief, every time I see you there is always some disaster not to far behind."

"Yeah-" Sakura chuckled, "-that is one of my talents."

"If the world is ending then what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Do you remember when my team and I dropped in from the trap set inside the Iron Village?"

"How can I not?" Dr. Yu crossed her arms. "I operated on you for a good eight hours, you kept coding every two minutes. The fact your alive today still surprises me."

"I am hard to kill." Sakura joked,

"I believe that now. Why are you bringing this up?"

"You were my doctor then and I was wondering if you would be interested in remaining my doctor."

"Oh?" Dr. Yu was surprised. "I have a feeling if I agree to that I will be logging a lot of surgical hours."

"That is a high possibility."

"You know I would be honored to be your permanent doctor Commander."

"Just...Sakura is fine." Sakura waved, "You have been inside my body cavity I think we can drop the formalities.

"Yes." Dr. Yu laughed. "Is there any reason for this visit beside what could have been just a simple phone call?"

"Er..." Sakura sighed,

"What?"

"You may be getting a few more hours inside your O.R." Sakura half joked.

"What?" Dr. Yu moved closer to Sakura she seemed fine, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes stared into Dr. Yu's soul...what on earth could be wrong with her? Sakura removed the armor on her chest, setting it on the small chair in front of Dr. Yu, then slowly lifted her shirt. Dr. Yu stepped in and pulled back the gauze, as she did Dr. Yu gasped covering her mouth with her free hand.

"Yeah..." Sakura breathed.

"How are you...how are you walking around?" Dr. Yu asked looking at the infected cut running across Sakura's side. "I would need to go back in and clean out the decaying tissue, you would need new stitches and bed rest for a few weeks at least."

"Can you do it today?" Sakura asked. Dr. Yu glanced at Sakura and then back to the gash.

"I don't think I have a choice, the fact you haven't gone septic is unreal, but I am sure the infection will soon spread, the sooner I get you into surgery the better. I will have to put you down and-"

"I would rather you not." Sakura said, Dr. Yu looked at the pinkette like she was insane.

"It is going to hurt."

"That's fine." Sakura waved off,

"Sakura, it is going to hurt." Dr. Yu stressed, but again Sakura shrugged. "Let me rephrase that, I do not torture my patients. You want me to do the surgery I will but only if you are under anesthesia."

"I will be fine-"

"You will not change my mind." Dr. Yu stated, the two women stared at one another for a long second.

"Fine." Sakura wasn't happy about it, but she didn't trust many people and Dr. Yu was right, this gash on her side needed to be repaired before her got an infection in her blood and died, she couldn't hold out for her body to filter the reapers poison out any longer.

~~~~

Dr. Yu stared at Shizune who quickly nodded her head,

"Of course not...but is she ok?"

"Sakura is fine, there is nothing to be worried about. What do you need Shizune?"

"Lady Tsunade needs your supplies report."

"Get my keys to my office from my jacket, it is on my desk."

"Thank you..." Shizune muttered, glancing back at Sakura who was strapped down on the table under anesthesia. Shizune quickly grabbed Dr. Yu's keys, ran to her office grabbed the correct folder and returned her keys before leaving the hospital. Shizune licked her lips as she gazed up at the cloudy sky as she made it back to the Hokage Tower. It was supposed to snow tonight.

Shizune sat at her desk, her head leaning on her hand as she stared into the distance lost in thought.

"Shizune?!" Tsunade yelled, causing Shizune to jump.

"Wh-What!?"

"I have called your name like seven times, what has gotten into you?"

"Oh nothing..." Shizune waved off, "What did you need?"

"I was going to excuse you for the day, what is on your mind?"

"It's nothing." Shizune smiled, "I guess seeing Sakura like that made me feel-"

"Excuse me?" Tsunade uncrossed her arms. "What do you mean?"

"Sakura or Commander Haruno-"

"What about her?"

"She was in surgery when I went to the hospital a couple hours ago."

"What do you mean!?" Tsunade yelled.

"I assumed you knew?!" Shizune backed away.

"What!?"

"Dr. Yu was operating on her; I don't know why all I was told was Sakura was fine and-" Tsunade turned and stormed away leaving Shizune alone, she sighed turning to her desk to collect her things so she could go home for the day. 

Shizune walked through the streets on her way home when his silver hair caught her eye. Shizune saw Kakashi was laying on a bench reading one of his favorite books. She tilted her head confused, now that she thought about it why did she see Naruto and Sasuke heading to the training grounds? She was under the impression team seven was somewhat close to Commander Haruno.

"Erm..." Shizune blushed as his one exposed eye looked up from the pages of his book.

"Hello Shizune." Kakashi smiled with his eye. "Anything I can help you with?"

"I-I was just wondering...or maybe not!" Shizune blushed looking away from the copy ninja.

"O...K?" Kakashi trailed off at the odd encounter. Shizune stopped in her tracks...the nurse said it was an emergency surgery, maybe team seven was never informed.

"You know Commander Haruno right?"

"Yes?" Kakashi stood, putting his book in his back pouch. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I mean...I heard around, I don't ask around about you or anything like that! I just had the impression you and your team were close to Haruno that is all!"

"We are?" Kakashi tilted his head.

"Why are you out here then?" Shizune wondered,

"What?" Kakashi was confused.

"Commander Haruno she is here-"

"You saw her?" Kakashi's heart fluttered, it had been three weeks since she dropped them off after scooping them up from the haze village, Sakura had gone off the grid as Raiden put it. No communication with her whatsoever. Kakashi had been going stir crazy waiting to hear from her. 

"Well...yeah...she was in surgery when I had to go-"

"Sakura is in surgery!?"

"She must be out by now, that was hours-" Shizune felt a cold breeze blow past her, "Eh?" Kakashi was missing from sight, she looked around and sighed seeing she was left behind once again.

Kakashi dashed to the leaf hospital, he flew into the building and looked around. He didn't feel her chakra,

"Where is Sakura Haruno?" Kakashi moved to the nurse's station.

"What?" A male nurse looked up from the monitor.

"Commander Haruno, of the Waterfall Village." Kakashi said, feeling the power in her title. "What room is she in!?"

"We...We don't have a Haruno in any of our rooms?" The nurse said checking the system.

"I was told she was here-"

"Kakashi Hatake." A voice called from the side, Kakashi turned and recognize Dr. Yu, she worked on Sakura the last time she was inside this hell hole.

"Sakura...is she-?"

"Come." Dr. Yu nodded for him to follow her. Once they were down the hall and away from other people Dr. Yu turned to Kakashi. "Commander Haruno is here."

"Was she hurt or-"

"Sakura is fine." Dr. Yu smiled, "She is stable and resting as we speak."

"Was there another hit on her? Why isn't she in the system and-"

"All your questions are great-" Dr. Yu smiled as she opened a door. "-but wouldn't you rather see her?" Kakashi walked through the door. He stepped into a private room where a pink haired woman laid in a hospital bed. Kakashi was at her side in a flash, picking up her hand and scanning over her face.

"Is she-"

"From what I know-" Dr. Yu said, "-She didn't come here like she did last time, she wasn't staring down the barrel of death again. She came to my office this morning, her side was severely infected I personally don't know how she was walking around and talking like a normal person but Sakura has proven miracles do exist since she survive what happened in the Iron Village."

"So, she was fine?"

"About as fine as a person like her can be."

"What does that mean?"

"Sakura didn't want me to put her down for the surgery. I told her it was going to hurt like a bitch, but she didn't care, she did not want to be put down. I told her if she wanted me to do the surgery she had to be. I assume with the little options she had is why she allowed me too."

"What does that-"

"A lot of people want her dead." Dr. Yu said, "I saw that today as I placed that mask over her face before surgery. I don't know a lot about her, I wasn't here years ago when she was still a student of Tsunade but I was a combat medic, I know the look on a person's face when they have seen more than what one human should and that girl-" Dr. Yu gestured to Sakura, "-Has seen a lot. She was concerned someone would try to sneak in while she was under and attack her and my staff. That is why she waited so long to come to me for help. She was trying to wait out the Reapers poison but she couldn't, not if she wanted to keep on living."

"She is stable?" Kakashi questioned, "Like..."

"Like when she wakes up, I am not going to force her to stay here. I learned from the last time she doesn't like to sit still but she does need to take it easy for at least a few weeks or we are going to be right back here, and if there is a next time she may not be this lucky and survive another infection."

"I see." Kakashi breathed looking back at Sakura's sleeping face.

"I will say this-" Dr. Yu chuckled as she turned to leave the room. "-she is one hell of a fighter, not many people can do what she does."

"That is true." Kakashi agreed. Dr. Yu excused herself leaving Kakashi alone with Sakura. "What have you done now?" Kakashi muttered shaking his head as he took a seat, his annoyed anger from being ghosted pushed aside as he felt relieved to see her again, he finally knew she was safe. He held her hand in his and pulled out his book to kill some time.

\----

Sakura's eyes burned as she opened them, the white light in the room stung her eyes. She had to blink a few times before being able to see she was laying inside a hospital room.

"Sakura?" Kakashi stood from his seat. Sakura turned seeing his masked face.

"Kakashi?" She was confused, how did he know she was here? She didn't contact him and there was no way Dr. Yu knew to reach out to him.

"Are you out of your damn mind!?" Kakashi snapped.

"Wha-?" Sakura blinked again, thinking maybe she was still asleep.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kakashi's hard gaze was unnatural when looking at Sakura. "You can't just vanish so effortlessly for weeks out of my life without telling me where you are! You contacted no one, you just evaporated!

"I-"

"You can travel across the world in a blink of an eye and you couldn't stop by just once and let me know you were alive?"

"I-" Sakura tried to defend herself.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was? How helpless I felt having no idea if you were hurt or even alive?"

"Kakashi..."

"There are a lot of people here who care for you, you left your own teammates worried sick. Do you have any idea how hard it is to love you?"

"I-"

"You may not feel obligated to tell me anything it was my mistake; I made the illusion that you could feel something-"

"I love you too." Sakura cut Kakashi off, she smiled watching his eye widen in surprise. Kakashi stared at Sakura, his heart stalled. 

"You..." Kakashi breathed, had he heard her right?

"Yeah." Sakura chuckled at Kakashi's stunned stature.

"Wh-" Kakashi snapped out of it but was stopped by the door flying open.

"What the fuck!?" Raiden yelled, holding his arms out wide. "What the fuck Haruno?!" He repeated.

"Yeah..." Carver muttered, "...what he said."

"Sakura!?" Naruto's eyes were glossy as he looked at her. "Your..."

"I am fine-"

"I call bullshit!" Raiden pointed at Sakura. "I call bullshit on all of this fuckery! You were in a fucking surgery?! Why the fuck wouldn't you tell one of us? Why leave us in the dark? Do you think we are not strong enough to handle-?"

"Can I get a word in?" Sakura wondered,

"No!" Raiden yelled, "You will listen to us complain and whine, then you are going to feed us because this is all bullshit!" Sakura sighed leaning against the bed waiting for the emotional melt down to tire itself out.

"Why didn't you call one of us?" Carver asked,

"I-"

"Because she is an asshole!" Raiden answered instead, he passed back and forth through the room huffing.

"Sakura?" Carver said wanting to hear her reasoning.

"I didn't have time."

"How the fuck!?" Raiden yelled, "You can poof yourself hundreds of miles away in a ball of air, no time my fucking asshole!"

"How about we let her talk for a second?" Sasuke asked leaning against the wall.

"She doesn't fucking talk!" Raiden through his arms in the air. "That is the whole problem-!" Kakashi wrapped his arm around Raiden's head muffling his voice.

"Continue Sakura." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"I didn't have time-" Sakura repeated, "-by the time I got here my fever was 104 and I could barely think."

"Why did you wait so long to get your side looked at?" Carver shook his head,

"I..." Sakura sighed, "I thought I could wait it out."

"Clearly you were wrong." Sasuke muttered,

"Yeah I got that." Sakura replied as she moved to lift herself off the bed.

"What are you doing!?" Carver and Naruto moved forward, trying to stop her from getting up.

"Ugh!" Sakura groaned too tired to deal with them. "Go get Dr. Yu so I can get the hell out out of this place!"

"Fine!" Raiden puffed, "I will give that doctor a piece of my mind too!"

"Raiden-!" Sakura called, "Someone go stop him." Naruto nodded and dashed after Raiden.

"So..." Carver said, "...your good?"

"Yeah." Sakura nodded.

Dr. Yu had been dragged into the room by Raiden with Naruto following closely behind repeatedly apologizing for Raiden's erratic behavior. The good doctor had the men wait outside while Sakura changed from the hospital clothes into her own.

Raiden was still grumping when the door opened, Dr. Yu walked out explaining two different medications she wanted Sakura to take. Kakashi smiled hearing Sakura groan, she hated taking pills. Naruto and the others stepped forward seeing Sakura, she was dressed in jeans and a plain shirt but what raised worry was her left arm which was inside a black sling.

"What the fuck is that?!" Raiden shouted; Dr. Yu shushed him. Naruto took Sakura's bag as Kakashi stared at her arm; it was the same one that was hurt while he was inside her village.

"What happened to your arm?"

"Dislocated." Sakura said walking past them, happy to be leaving the hospital.

"Dis...what?!" The five men followed Sakura.

"How was your arm dislocated?" Carver questioned as they walked outside.

"Dawn." Sakura answered,

"Dawn attacked-!?"

"No, I saved her." Sakura shook her head,

"Was this when we were inside the Waterfall Village?" Kakashi wondered,

"Yes."

"That was weeks ago!" Naruto walked faster wanting to walk beside her. "How-"

"I never rested it." Sakura cut in sounding annoyed, "I never took a few days off to just recover. I never had the time too."

"You do now?" Sasuke asked,

"Yeah." Sakura said as their apartment building came into view, the more she walked the more tired she was. Sakura stumbled; she moved her leg to catch herself, but it gave out with her. Kakashi quickly caught her, pulling her into him. Her eyes were heavy as she tried to keep her eyes open.

"Are you drugged?" Carver asked,

"One good thing about the Leaf Village-" Sakura smiled, "-they give really good pain meds." Naruto laughed as Kakashi shook his head.

"What did you trip on?" Raiden asked as the group moved towards the building. "Your shadow?" 

"My shadow is a tricky little bastard." Sakura replied earning a few chuckles as they made their way into the building and crammed into the elevator. Sakura rested her head on Kakashi's arm as the double doors opened on their floor the group piled out. Kakashi walked ahead but stopped seeing Sakura wasn't moving. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, Kakashi was amused by this as he pulled Sakura to follow him.

Carver and Raiden were opening their door, Sasuke and Naruto waited behind them. They were going to play a new video game; they bought a mountain of snacks and drinks for tonight.

"Are you going to join us Kakashi?" Carver wondered.

"Not tonight." Kakashi smiled as he unlocked his door, Sakura still leaning on his arm enjoying the familiar scent that made her feel at home.

"Sakura." Sasuke said, he lightly grabbed her by the elbow and tried to lead her into her apartment. Sakura's muscles tensed at Sasuke's touch. 

"Uh..." Carver said turning from entering the apartment having read Sakura's face. She reached out grabbing Kakashi's hand as Sasuke forced Sakura to move into the open apartment Naruto and Raiden were already inside.

"I don't think..." Carver started, Kakashi's wrapped an arm around Sakura trying to be mindful of her arm as he broke Sasuke's grasp on Sakura.

"What-" Sasuke narrowed his eyes watching Kakashi gently lead Sakura into his apartment.

"I got her." Kakashi smiled with his eye. "She will be fine."

"She can sleep inside her own-"

"You four are going to be playing those games and are going to be loud, she needs to rest in a quiet place." Kakashi rationalized turning to enter his apartment closing the door behind him ignoring Sasuke calling him. Carver grabbed Sasuke's shoulder stopping him from banging on Kakashi's front door.

"What's going on?" Naruto popped up. "Where is Sakura?"

"She is going to be staying the night with Kakashi." Carver informed.

"Er." Naruto muttered, "Why?"

"Because..." Carver sighed looking towards Kakashi's door. "Because I think it is more than just sex between them." 

\----

"Fuck." Sakura breathed sitting up, her left arm still resting inside her sling. Sakura looked around Kakashi's room, where was he? Sakura moved to get up from Kakashi's large bed, her body felt stiff and sore. She rubbed her neck walking into the living room seeing Kakashi was in the kitchen cooking. He turned hearing her,

"Good morning." He smiled with his unmasked face.

"Morning." Sakura blinked; her eyes burnt.

"How are you feeling?"

"Um...sore." Sakura said honestly for once, she slowly sat in one of the wooden chairs at the table.

"That doesn't surprise me." Kakashi said,

"What do you mean?" Sakura wondered, after plating food on two plates Kakashi moved to the small table. He kissed her cheek before placing breakfast in front of her. Kakashi brushed his fingers down her good arm picking it up and turning it so her palm was facing upward. Sakura saw dark bruises were beginning to form. "Ah." Sakura nodded,

"You were in a fight?" Kakashi asked sitting.

"Aren't I always?" Sakura smiled but Kakashi's face was stern. "Yeah." Sakura sighed, "Before I came here."

"Against whom?"

"Well..." Sakura breathed looking at the eggs and pancakes, her stomach growled. "The Reapers have a line of succession similar to the Waterfalls."

"Really?"

"Yeah and I went up against their third."

"Their third Commander?"

"Yeah."

"And..."

"And I killed him." Sakura breathed feeling happy with relief filling her.

"Which is why you said last night you now have time." Kakashi realized.

"With their third gone I can't imagine they will be able to do much."

"Why is that?"

"Because the Reapers in a lot of ways is like my village. The members are scrambling to kill each other in order to get that spot."

"It's going to be a bloodbath."

"Yup, gives me time to recover though." Sakura smiled, Kakashi nodded "Which brings up something I wanted to talk to you about..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah um...I mean I know I can stay next door with Carver and Raiden, but I thought that maybe..." Sakura felt uncomfortable, she leaned back against the chair looking everywhere but Kakashi. "...Uh..." She laughed, "Never mind." She looked at her plate biting her bottom lip, Kakashi reached out wrapping his hand around hers.

"Will you stay here with me?" He asked reading through her movements. "While you recover?"

"I don't want to impose-"

"You're not." Kakashi grinned, "I want you here with me."

"I-"

"But I do have one condition."

"Condition?"

"Yes, while you are here you can't be rushing off to another village to stop the sky from falling. You are here to recover and that is what you'll do."

"Is it now?" Sakura smirked,

"It is."

"I guess I could do that." Sakura smiled, Kakashi leaned over placing a small kiss on her cheek.

"It's decided then, you'll stay with me."

"Ok..."

"Eat your breakfast." Kakashi ordered, "Before your friends come bursting in and drag you away."

"I am surprised they haven't showed up."

"They have, I just sent them away."

"You did?"

"Yes, you needed to sleep." Kakashi said Sakura thought for a moment, Raiden and Naruto both hated mornings...

"What time is it?"

"It's four in the afternoon." Kakashi chuckled.

"Holy...why did you let me sleep so late?"

"Why not?" Kakashi tilted his head, Sakura hated how cute he was when he did that.

"I don't know..." Sakura muttered; she wasn't used to being allowed to sleep let alone sleeping in late. "Thank you." Sakura looked at him,

"You don't need to thank me." Kakashi stood,

"Wha-" Sakura started but there was a loud knock on the door.

"Are you fucking up yet!?" Raiden yelled causing Sakura to laugh, she turned to Kakashi who was moving towards her to open the door, he had his mask on and Sakura understood the hot mystery around it when Annora talked about it when she was here for Raiden's party. Sakura took a bite of her food when Kakashi opened the door, there was a huffing Raiden who looked extremely annoyed.

"Hello." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"I-" Raiden pointed at Kakashi, "-don't want to talk to you." Raiden walked past Kakashi.

"Hey." Carver nodded, Sasuke and Naruto were the last to walk in.

"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked,

"I am alive." Sakura flashed a smile making Naruto feel lighter, he had been worried about her all night and day. Kakashi wouldn't let anyone inside until she woke up, Naruto understood though...her body needed to rest and begin to recover.

"Where is it?" Raiden asked walking right into Kakashi's bedroom,

"Where is what?" Sakura wondered,

"Ah ha!" Raiden sounded triumphant, he walked out with Sakura's phone in his hand.

"Why do you have my phone?"

"Because you are not going anywhere!" Raiden pointed,

"I'm not?"

"No! You are going to stay here inside this village with us until you're not fucking falling apart!"

"But why are you taking my phone?"

"So you can't get a call and whip off to save someone else."

"So, you want me to ignore people who are calling for help?" Sakura asked slowly.

"Don't give me that look as if that is so unethical to do!" Raiden waved his hand at Sakura. "It's not like you're a fucking shining beacon of ethics!" Sakura just laughed shaking her head.

"Sakura has already agreed to stay here while she gets better." Kakashi stepped in.

"Huh?" Carver laughed,

"Nuh uh." Raiden said.

"I have." Sakura nodded,

"Wha-?" Raiden was dumbfounded,

"Wow." Carver said looking at Kakashi a little impressed he was able to convince her to stay put for once.

"Awesome!" Naruto smiled,

"Yeah!" Raiden laughed, "We will clean up the bedroom so you can sleep-"

"You don't have to do that." Sakura said.

"Er..yeah we do you haven't been in there for a minute you might catch something-"

"I don't want to know what you two have been doing in there." Sakura cut Raiden off, "You don't need to because I will be...staying here..."

"You'll do what now?" Sasuke looked up from his phone.

"I will be staying here?" Sakura repeated.

"Where will Kakashi be staying?" Sasuke asked.

"Here?" Sakura was confused.

"Why?" Sasuke asked feeling annoyed,

"Because I can." Sakura laughed. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"So, are you two..." Carver looked between Sakura and Kakashi, "...like together or...?" Sakura glanced over at Kakashi; she didn't know. He said he loved her, she said it back what happens now?

"Yes." Kakashi answered, Sakura's eyes widened for a moment her heart skipped as she turned to look at his masked face. Kakashi looked into her eyes, he wasn't going to back down or feel guilty for falling in love with this pink haired, blaring eyed woman who turned his life upside down and made me feel like he had woken up for the first time in his life.

"Really?" Carver was surprised, he didn't know Sakura to get close to people and if she did it took a lot for her to generally like another human because she wasn't a people person. He didn't know her to sleep around like he did, and now out of nowhere inside the village he knew her to hate for so long she was not only sleeping with a man she was in a relationship with him...good for her. Carver smiled, "Congrats!"

"Really?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah." Carver shrugged. "They are both adults."

"But he is her sensei! That shouldn't be allowed-"

"I will stop you right there." Sakura said standing. "Why are you even here?"

"What?" Sasuke shook his head.

"I thought I made it pretty damn clear I don't like you, so why are you here?" Kakashi moved to her side looking down at her feeling extremely happy she was defending their relationship.

"I...we...you and him shouldn't-"

"Who I am with is none of your fucking business."

"It is wrong!"

"How?" Sakura asked,

"What?"

"How is it wrong?"

"Because he was your sensei-"

"Was." Sakura pointed out, "For what-?" She asked turning to him, "Two Years?" Kakashi nodded his head. Sakura turned back to Sasuke, "He never trained me like he trained you two. I didn't look at him as my sensei like you two do. I am Twenty-One and the Commander of a fucking village I am no child, I can make my own decisions."

"But he is older-"

"By six years." Sakura countered. "Your just pissed he is fucking me and you're not."

"I-"

"I mean..." Carver spoke up, "Who are you to say anything about their relationship?" He shrugged with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" Sasuke glared,

"Who the fuck are we to tell them this is wrong? They are both grown. It isn't like Sakura is a minor here or like Kakashi is decades older than she is."

"But-"

"Again." Carver laughed, "Who are we to say shit?"

"You're her friend-"

"Your right I am, and for the first time in a really long time she appears to be a lot happier. The fact she has agreed to stay here willingly because of Kakashi tells me something."

"Yeah." Raiden agreed. "The only time we have a right to say something is if he doesn't treat her right." Carver nodded agreeing, the two men turned their head and glared at Kakashi.

"And you will treat her right." Carver stated. Kakashi chuckled, wrapping an arm around Sakura pulling her into him.

"I will." Kakashi promised.

"Ok." Raiden nodded, looking back to Sasuke who was turning red.

"This is ridiculous-" Sasuke started,

"Leave." Sakura stated.

"You heard her." Kakashi said watching Sasuke stare at his girlfriend. Sasuke shook his head turning on his heel and walking out. Sakura turned to Naruto who sat on the couch with an open mouth.

"You have anything to say?" She threatened.

"N-No." Naruto blushed, looking away from her. He still didn't know how he felt about her being with their sensei, but Carver had a point...who was Naruto to question any of this? Sakura looked happier and was going to willingly stay inside the leaf village while she recovered because of him...Naruto should be feeling happy right now which he kind of was... "So..." Naruto muttered after a hard moment of silence.

"Hm?" Sakura turned to him.

"A couple of us are going to the café, you wanna come?" Naruto muttered,

"Cafe?" Sakura tilted her head; she thought his favorite place was that ramen shop?

"Oh my gosh that's right you haven't been there yet!" Naruto jumped up from the couch. "You are going to love it!"

"Uh...ok?" Sakura laughed at Naruto's excitement.

"Everyone said they were going to be there at six! Get dressed and we can all go there together!" Naruto said moving to the door, "Carver! Raiden! Go get dressed!"

"Ok." Carver said holding his hands up, "I'm going."

"You too Kakashi!" Naruto pointed before bouncing out of view.

"Well..." Sakura muttered, "I guess I know what we are doing tonight." She smiled looking up at Kakashi, he bent down pulling his mask out of the way and kissed her.

"I had other ideas." He muttered against her lips causing her to shiver in delight.

"Hm...well the night is still young." Sakura laughed as Kakashi wrapped his arms around her. 

\----

Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, Carver and Raiden walked through the chilly streets of the leaf village as they made their way to the café. Naruto kept turning walking backwards as he spoke to Sakura.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked again,

"Yes." Sakura sighed, "My shoulder is fine."

"But..."

"She is ok Naruto." Kakashi smiled beside Sakura.

"Ok..." He muttered turning around again as the café came into sight. "You're going to love this place Sakura! They have the best hot chocolate in town!"

"Do they now?" Sakura muttered,

"Yes!"

"You come here a lot?" She asked,

"A couple times a week." Naruto said,

"Hm." Sakura nodded.

"What?" Naruto asked,

"Does it feel like your cheating on Ichiraku Ramen?" Sakura laughed as she watched the color drain from Naruto's face, he never even thought about that!

"No! I go there even more than-" Sakura tuned Naruto out as he ranted, Carver laughed at Naruto's flushed face.

"Sakura?" A voice called as they were about to reach the café.

"Granny?" Naruto muttered seeing the voice belonged to Tsunade.

"Sakura, I can speak with you a moment?"

"Yeah?" Sakura said looking back at Kakashi. She followed Tsunade a few yards away from the group of men, she could feel their gaze on her back.

"Everything ok?" Sakura wondered.

"Yeah!" Tsunade's voice was unnaturally high and she appeared to be nervous.

"Yeah..." Sakura's voice was flat and full of sarcasm. "Because you look so relaxed and calm right now."

"I just um...well...er..." Tsunade sputtered, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest.

"If your not ok with me staying her for a while then I can find other-"

"What? No, no! I am perfectly fine with you being here it's just...I wanted to say um..."

"I am cold." Sakura stated, "Whatever you want to say, say it."

"Can you forgive me?" Tsunade breathed.

"Huh?"

"Forgive me for what I did to you...?"

"Tsuande I..." Sakura sighed shaking her head and glanced away from her. "For once I don't know."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't feel anything when I look at you." Sakura explained, "I don't see a friend or an enemy, if I had to put a label on it I guess when I look at you all I see is another politician that I have to deal with."

"Sakura..." Tsunade blinked a few times keeping her tears back. "What I did was terrible, but it made you so strong. I mean look at who you have become!"

"Are you saying I should be grateful you banished me?"

"I mean-"

"Because you banished me my parents left this village."

"Yes, how are they doing by the way-"

"They are dead." Sakura cut in. "In some way I see you responsible for that." Tsunade's eyes were wide she was stunned, and her chest felt tight. "So when you ask me Tsunade if I can forgive you for kicking me out of the village...I don't know." Sakura nodded seeing Tsunade wasn't going to respond, she turned and walked away from the blonde to go back to the group waiting for her.

"What did granny want?" Naruto asked watching Tsunade turn and walk away.

"Nothing." Sakura smiled,

"Really?" Carver raised an eyebrow.

"I do belong to another village." Sakura replied, "I need permission to be here."

"Granny doesn't care if you're here!" Naruto smiled,

"Got to cross your T's and dot your I's." Sakura lied with a smooth smile, Kakashi watched her from the corner of his eye and knew she was lying, shielding them from something. He softly breathed out, he was going to have a conversation with her when they were alone. 

Sakura and the others walked into the café, as they did so Sakura instantly backed away. The group was met with an overwhelming sensation of loud noises mixed with a lot of people; two things Sakura hated. She backed into Kakashi who smiled looking down at her, Carver turned knowing Sakura would try to get out of being here but he stopped seeing Kakashi was walking them forward to where he stood with Naruto who was jumping at the sight of his other friends. Carver smiled, maybe Kakashi was what Sakura needed in her life.

"Hey guys!" Naruto and Raiden jumped into the bubbly atmosphere.

"Naruto!" Hinata ran into his arms, her face flushed as a sign of her drinking.

"I see you guys started without us!" Raiden acted offended.

"You took too long!" Kiba laughed.

"Sakura?" TenTen noticed the pink hair.

"Hey." Kiba waved, "What are you doing here?" Kiba asked as Kakashi moved them to the couch. Sakura breathed sitting by the arm with Kakashi beside her.

"Sakura is staying here with us." Naruto answered with a large smile.

"Really?" Neji muttered,

"Yeah, while she recovers." Raiden said sitting on the floor in front of the large coffee table.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Lee wondered,

"She got it dislocated!" Raiden gushed laughing. Sakura looked around the café, the loud music and blinking lights annoyed her.

"You're ok." Kakashi said low enough for only her to hear. "I'm right here." His words were sweet and made her feel better, she relaxed as her muscles loosened.

"Kakashi!"

"Son of a bitch." Kakashi sighed hearing Guy jumping over the couch to hug him. "Have you been drinking?"

"Only a little Kakashi!" Guy laughed, sitting beside him.

"What are you guys doing?" Carver switched subjects.

"Playing a game!" Lee laughed,

"A game?" Carver questioned, "What game?"

"Something stupid." Sasuke muttered annoying Sakura with his negativity.

"Well I will be the judge of that-" Carver smiled at Lee who looked hurt by Sasuke's coldness. "-Tell me about it."

"OK!" Lee shouted, "So we call a name out of a person we all know and then we all shout the first thing that comes to our minds!"

"Oh...that sounds...fun...?" Carver said slowly.

"Alright who is next?" TenTen laughed as she sipped her fruity drink.

"I'll be right back-" Kakashi said to Sakura.

"Don't you fucking leave me here with these-" Kakashi chuckled as he got up before Sakura could finish her sentence. She glared at him as he moved away from her.

"Kakashi!" TenTen blurted his name seeing he wasn't in ear shot.

"Tall." Lee thought after a second.

"Old." Sasuke muttered, Sakura glared in this direction.

"The mask!" Naruto jumped into the game.

"Hair!" Hinata thought.

"Hair?" Naruto laughed.

"He has so much of it!" Hinata defended.

"Look at Neji!" Naruto joked, Neji rolled his eyes.

"I like it." TenTen blushed looking at her cup.

"Kill me." Sakura muttered but no one heard her. Other people threw out their one-word answers as Kakashi made his way back everyone dropped the subject. Kakashi blinked confused causing a crowd of laughter.

"Did I miss something?" Kakashi asked sitting beside Sakura.

"Not a damn thing." Sakura answered as Kakashi handed her a drink. "Thanks." She muttered,

"If you want to leave, we can." Kakashi shrugged, Sakura thought about taking off. She could say her shoulder hurt which could get her out of here.

"Ok!" TenTen shouted, "Sakura!" TenTen pointed to her, Sakura internally cringed.

"Fabulous!" Hinata was drunk.

"Fearless!" Lee joined in.

"Hot!" Kiba laughed pulling Kakashi's eye onto him.

"Altruistic." Neji said.

"Generous." Choji thought.

"Caring." Raiden smiled,

"Encouraging." Carver said,

"Ambitious!" TenTen spilt her drink on her shirt, Sakura smirked.

"You're in a safe place." Kakashi leaned in and told her. Did these people really think all these things about her? Sakura looked from Kakashi to the people around her, she just laughed as she pulled her glass to her lips.

"Sasuke!" Naruto pointed to his friend.

"Strong!" Hinata said,

"Smart?" TenTen guessed,

"Depressed." Kakashi muttered,

"Fuck boy." Sakura answered,

"Daddy." Ino blushed as her drunk mind slushed around her skull.

"Good style!" Lee chuckled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the fuck on!" Carver laughed turning to Ino, "We are not going to just blow past that like you didn't just say that!"

"What?" Ino blushed,

"You call him 'Daddy'?" Carver was never going to let her live this down.

"Well-Erm...." Ino laughed.

"I didn't know you to were together!" Naruto felt left out!

"We are not." Sasuke stated, Sakura awkwardly looked away from Ino's hurt expression.

"Why not?" Ino asked,

"Here we go." Kiba muttered taking a long drink of his beer.

"Why are we not together!?" Ino tried to stand.

"Your drunk." Sasuke sighed,

"And you're an ass!"

"That would have been a good word to use." Sakura thought out loud causing Kakashi to smile.

"Sit down Ino." Sasuke did not want to deal with Ino, she was annoying when sober but fucking dreadful when drunk.

"No! You tell me why we cannot be together! You always call me up in the late hours wanting to have sex but why can't you just admit you have feelings for me!?" Ino gushed into the open. Sakura looked around feeling the atmosphere shatter around her. Damn, she thought she killed the mood when she walked into a room, she did not compare to what Ino could do. Sakura was bored now...she looked around wondering if this place had food.

"Because I am in love with someone else!" Sasuke snapped,

"Who-Who!?" Ino shouted as tears filled her eyes. "You said I was special. You said I was the only girl you like to touch-"

"Sakura." Sasuke snapped wanting Ino to just shut up!

"Sak-Sakura!?" Ino breathed turning to the pinette.

"What?" Sakura asked looking up from her cup. What did she do now?

"Your sleeping with Sasuke?!" Ino accused.

"What the fuck?" Sakura laughed, what kind of turn did this party take?!

"What?" Naruto laughed, "Sakura is dating Kakashi she isn't-"

"WHAT!?" The crowd screamed, eyes open and mouth hanging agape Sakura pulled her lips together thinking this party took a weird U-turn right off a cliff. How the hell did they get here?

"Yup." Sakura confirmed.

"Kakashi?" Sakura turned and almost jumped back seeing Guy in tears looking into Kakashi's eye. "How could you not tell me you were in love!?"

"I...ugh..." Kakashi awkwardly laughed,

"Can we-" TenTen called, "-go back to the Sakura dating Kakashi really quick?"

"Yeah." Kiba agreed, "When did this uh...this happen?"

"Does it matter?" Sakura wondered.

"Well erm...kind of?"

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because...?" Kiba trailed off waiting for someone to step in and answer this question for him.

"So does anyone like jelly beans?!" Raiden called in his attempt to change the subject.

"Forget that!" TenTen said quickly getting up and moving to sit in between Kakashi and Sakura.

"What-?" Sakura sighed as Kakashi moved over giving TenTen room.

"Have you seen it?"

"Seen what...?" Sakura trailed off,

"His face!" TenTen shouted.

"Oh my God!" Naruto jumped up. "Did you see his face!?" Kakashi sighed as Sakura laughed,

"Uh...yeah, I did."

"You did!?" TenTen jumped, "What does he look like!?"

"Does he have like a big nose or teeth is that why he hides his face?" Naruto added.

"I am sitting right here." Kakashi said.

"Good for you." TenTen said, "Sakura tell us!"

"I am uncomfortable." Sakura muttered.


	25. Chapter 25

"Hey!" I yelled laughing as I wiped the snowball off my face. Hinata was giggling with a wide smile with red flushed cheeks from the cold. We had a snowstorm last night that left a foot of snow of the ground. I ran after Hinata, wrapping my arms around her as we fell backwards into a pile of snow. Hinata laughed so brightly as she began to make a snow angel.

"Wait!" Hinata quickly sat up pieces of snow still in her hair, "What time is it?!"

"One-"

"We are going to be late!" Hinata grabbed my arm and tried pulling me with her. I chuckled as I followed her to the café where we were meeting friends. It didn't take us long to reach the café, its warm air rushed to greet us causing me to sigh. I loved winter but summer was my favorite time of year, I really hated being cold. Hinata waved with a smile on her lips, Sakura waved back who sat on the couch with Kakashi sitting beside her.

We joined them on the soft couch, Kakashi held Sakura's hand as she went back to looking at her phone. It has been two amazing weeks since Sakura agreed to remain inside the leaf village as she recovers. Her shoulder was still in its sling but she claims she was getting better; she had another doctor's appointment in a few days to get it looked at and hopefully removed.

I felt better about being around Kakashi and Sakura now, it took some time getting use to the idea of them being in a relationship and now they seemed so natural together, they just made sense. Carver and Raiden were still here training us, they were training right now and allowing everyone a week off for the holiday coming up, I was so excited for Christmas. Kakashi agreed to do all the cooking, we were having dinner at his apartment, since that is where Sakura has been staying while here.

I know Kakashi has been training with Sakura alone, I don't know what their training consisted of since she couldn't use her arm. But it seemed to keep her at bay and gave her an outlet so I wasn't going to complain. I leaned against my seat with a hot chocolate in my hand, my girlfriend beside me. My best friend inside the village safe and sound...everything was just perfect.

Sadly, after an hour Sakura had to get up and leave. She was still the commander of another village and had a job to do. Granted she wasn't leaving the village just like she promised, she still held video conferences with her two other commanders almost every day. Kakashi usually went with her and hung in the background. As Sakura got up and left, I stood as well. I had some last-minute shopping to do, I was meeting Sasuke at the mall. I hated shopping and had put it off to the last second like a moron, stores this time of year were always packed and filled with crazy people.

\----

"L-Let go!" I yelled at the old hag in front of me who was glaring back at me. We both were hovering over a discount bin. I found the perfect sweater for Hinata which was fifty percent off! But this old hag grabbed it right as I was about to walk away with it!

"Never!" The old lady yelled back.

"I had it first!" I shouted, 

"No I did!"

"Are-Are you crazy you old hag!?" I yelled, "I totally had it in my hand before you did! You came up and tried to take it from me!" I growled as I tried to pull it out of her old hands but her grip was so strong! What the hell?! I placed my foot up on the bin to get a better grip on the damn thing, I was not letting this sweater go!

"This is mine!" She yelled.

"No way!" I yelled back. "There is no way I am going to give it to you!" The old woman then had an evil glare spread across her face as she let go and I flew backwards into a display case.

"Ow...." I groaned as I slowly sat up. I few people gathered around to see what happened. The old hag tried to run up and grab the sweater but I pulled it away, jumping to my feet. "Not this time you old hag!" I yelled pointing at her.

"Fighting with people again Naruto?" I looked behind seeing Sasuke giving me a blank stare. A shiny red shopping bag in his hand. Who was that for...me maybe!?

"She started it!" I defended as I made my way to the checkout line. As Sasuke and I left the store the old woman caught my eye.

"This isn't over." She glared I rolled my eyes, it sure looked over.

"Who is that for?" I asked trying to peek in the bag, but he pulled it into his other hand hiding it from me.

"No one." He said.

"Is it for me!?" I gasped but he rolled his eyes.

"No."

"Then who for?" I wondered, Sasuke sighed and looked at me annoyed.

"Sakura."

"Sakura?" I asked. "That's for Sakura?" He and her had not been on good terms ever since her relationship with Kakashi was made public. She didn't really talk to him and kind of ignored his presence when he was in the room.

"Yeah."

"Oh..." I said scratching my head.

"I bought your present a while ago." Sasuke added, I jumped with joy.

"Really?! What is it!?" I pestered. "Give me a hint!"

"No." He said sighing. "This is why I didn't tell you."

"Well...what did you get Sakura?" I asked. "Because I have no idea what to get her." Sasuke handed me the bag, inside was a very nice and very expensive dark blue jacket. "That is beautiful." I complimented, "She is going to love it." Sasuke blushed, he actually blushed! The badass Sasuke Uchiha just blushed! I smiled and then looked down as my stomach growled.

"Do you want to stop at the food court? I told the others we were going to meet up there."

"So much!" I felt like I was starving! I looked up from thinking about what to get Sakura, I mean this was the first Christmas in five years! Carver and Raiden explained that they didn't celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas and since Thanksgiving was thrown off track due to the waterfall village trying to kill each other, I really wanted this holiday to be special. I pulled my gaze from the floor as we entered the food court. "Sakura?" I tilted my head, what was she doing here? How long was I inside that store?!

"Naruto." Sakura mocked me.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Christmas shopping." Hinata smiled at me with a light blush on her cheeks. "Sakura needed to start hers and I had to finish mine!" I then noticed all the bags around Sakura, Hinata and TenTen.

"Is Carver and Raiden still training?" Sasuke questioned.

"Yes." TenTen sighed rubbing her shoulder. "I feel so sore!"

"How are you doing?" I asked Hinata, she blushed and looked into her lap.

"I-I'm fine." I smiled at her.

"Good." I looked at Sakura who was drinking a soda. "Those are way too many bags for you to carry." I said, I know her doctor told her to not lift anything to heavy.

"I am fine." Sakura brushed off.

"You may think that but-"

"She's not alone Naruto." I looked behind me to see Kakashi walking towards us. Guy was by his side and they had colorful gift bags in their hands.

"Hey Kakashi!" I smiled, "What are you doing?"

"We are shopping!" Guy explained for Kakashi giving me a thumbs up. Sasuke sat beside me, placing a hot cup of ramen before me

"Yes!" I could feel my mouth watering, I reached in my pocket to get my wallet to pay him back.

"It's on me." He said taking a bite of his burger.

"Really!?" I felt my eyes sparkle, nothing was better than free food! "You're the best Sasuke!"

Most of my friends stopped by and said hello to us. They would leave some bags for me to watch since they didn't want to carry it around with them. Since most of our group collected here it was hard to shop without the person your shopping for seeing your gift. People would come and go and switch partners to go tackle the store together. It was honestly kind of fun! I turned my head, feeling Hinata stand with Sakura. I asked where they were going but Hinata waved me off as she dragged Sakura away. I smiled, Hinata and Sakura had grown close in the past two weeks. Those two and TenTen had been hanging out a lot, it made me happy.

"How is Sakura doing?" Guy asked out of the blue, he had watched her walk away. "Her arm getting better?"

"Recovery is slow but her range of motion is improving." Kakashi answered, "My only real issue is making her take it easy so her arm can heal."

"What?" TenTen giggled,

"You have to make her take it easy?" Choji laughed, "How hard can that be?!" I rolled my eyes; it was fucking hard.

"Sakura..." I sighed not knowing how to explain what I have seen to them. "The Waterfall Village is different than we are."

"I heard." Choji nodded opening another bag of chips. "They like try to kill her or something right?"

"Yeah." I confirmed, "For her title."

"Why?" TenTen wondered setting her drink down. "From what I have seen Sakura is awesome, she has to be a cool boss."

"She is." I jumped hearing Carver behind me.

"You scared me!" I shouted as my heart slowed down, I checked to make sure I didn't spill any ramen.

"If she is so great-" Lee spoke up, "-then why do they want to kill her for her job?"

"To bring Purgatory back." Raiden plopped in Hinata's empty seat and stole my drink. Guy choked on his food at that word, now that I knew what it meant I understood his reaction because Kakashi had the same one.

"Purga-what?" Choji asked with a mouth full of chips.

"Purgatory it's...not a fun place." Carver shrugged. "Sakura ended it but they want it back."

"Why-" Guy's face was stern, and I understood why...

"Because the Waterfall Village was Purgatory." Carver said,

"They-They-" Guy's mouth hung open.

"What did she tell you guys?" Carver wondered looking at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You just seem very...cool...about this conversation." Raiden said.

"Well we found all this out." I shrugged.

"Uh-Huh." Carver nodded,

"What isn't she telling us?" Kakashi's voice was stern making me feel like I was in trouble.

"She wouldn't hide-" I cut myself off, Sakura wouldn't tell us the full truth.

"Well what did she tell you?" Raiden asked.

"That the Waterfall Village was Purgatory." I recalled leaning back in my chair as Raiden sipped my soda. "That placed sucked, but Sakura stopped it like...what else is there?" I laughed.

"Well..." Carver shrugged. "...for starters the Waterfall Village was slaughtered and made into Purgatory."

"What-What?" I sat up.

"Yeah." Carver laughed, "Why does she baby you guys?"

"You think Kaguya and Sakura picked an empty field and built a village in such a short amount of time? No-" Carver laughed, "-Kaguya collected an army of anyone who would join, most of those people were rogues without a home. Kaguya can paint a really pretty picture, and after that Sakura led them into the Waterfall Village and slaughtered everyone there, the leader...what the fuck was his name?" Carver wondered,

"Shibuki." Raiden answered.

"Yeah him, he was the first to die." Carver said,

"But--What—Huh?" I stuttered,

"If you're going to love Sakura-" Raiden said mostly looking at Kakashi, "-you have to love every piece and she has this habit of shielding the people she cares about from whatever she can, us included-" Raiden said pointing to Carver.

"But why would-" I breathed,

"Oh no!" Carver laughed, "-Don't get the wrong idea, the Waterfall Village before Sakura took over was a shit show, they had the Chomei also known as the seven-tails and was going after Kaguya so Sakura just cut out the middleman and went after them first."

"You could have led with that!" TenTen breathed.

"Sorry." Carver smiled, "But yeah, after Sakura defeated whoever stood against her inside that village, she burnt the tree down that made that dumb ass hero water and that hell hole became Purgatory."

"Yeah she..." I sighed, "...she didn't not tell us that part."

"I figured Sakura didn't." Carver muttered.

"I didn't what?" Her voice turned my head, there she stood with Hinata who had two bags in her hand while Sakura had one.

"You-" Carver smiled, "-ignored me this morning when I tried to talk about sending the leaf shinobi to-"

"Kakashi-" Sakura cut Carver off, I felt my eyebrows pull together. She was doing it again, hiding something she didn't think we could handle. "-are you ready to go?"

"Sure." Kakashi stood, collecting all the bags as I groaned and jumped to my feet seeing Hinata wanted to go with them too. We walked outside and saw the temperature dropped even lower and it was snowing again. Everything was slick as we made our way back to the apartment building. 

I fell on my ass twice!

We made it home without to many new bruises on my ass. I dropped off my things inside my apartment before going to Kakashi's. I sighed sitting on the soft surface. Sakura after changing sat beside Hinata as she flicked the TV on. Kakashi went to cooking dinner and it didn't take long for the place to start smelling really good!

I walked into the kitchen leaning against the counter watching Kakashi cook for a while. The apartment was quiet and still with the hollow sound of the TV floating everywhere. Kakashi looked at me a few times and then sighed putting down the vegetables in his hand.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Nothing." I said looking at my nails trying to look casual.

"Nothing at all?" He asked again. I smiled and looked over at the couch.

"You guys are getting pretty close." I said, Kakashi gave me a stern look.

"We are not going to have this talk." He said as he started cutting the fat off the chicken.

"What talk?" I asked laughing.

"I am busy Naruto." Kakashi said.

"Fine-Fine." I said standing on my two feet. "I'll leave you be." I smiled walking back to the living room and Raiden and Carver joined.

I started to watch what the two guys on the floor was watching. It was the Nightmare Before Christmas. Carver and Raiden never had seen it, which was odd because it was such a popular movie. Carver, Raiden and Sakura were always on the road, always on the move from what I had been told. They never got time like this to sit down and enjoy the life that they were fighting for. So I didn't mind watching the movie with them, granted I have seen it over a hundred times because it was Hinata's favorite movie. I was going through my phone, seeing TenTen had texted me. There was a Christmas party going on, it seemed fun!

"Hey, do you guys want to go to a Christmas party?" I called out,

"Who's?"

"I don't know, but it's sounds like fun." I wanted to go!

"Sounds fun." Raiden grinned. He was laying on his stomach watching the TV. "Can we go after dinner and this movie?" He asked holding up The Holiday.

"Of course." I laughed. "Sasuke?" He shrugged, he looked so out of place here. Maybe because he knew Sakura didn't like him?

"Dinner is ready." Kakashi called,

"Yes!" I high dived off the couch.

\----

Dinner was amazing! I never knew Kakashi could cook so good! He made grilled chicken and a salad and some grilled vegetables as well. He has been holding out on me all these years! This was nice...sitting around the table, I felt warm and happy I felt like a family was coming together. 

Sakura and Kakashi have been inseparable the past two weeks, it was kind of weird seeing Sakura change and leave the apartment without him. I didn't fully understand why Kakashi wasn't coming, I think he wanted to give her space and not make her feel smothered hoping that would keep her around longer. Sakura, Carver, Raiden, Hinata, Sasuke and I stepped into the snowy streets moving towards the café where the party was being held! I glanced over my shoulder making sure everyone was together when I saw Sasuke who was behind everyone staring at Sakura.

I felt bad for him...but I have never seen Kakashi as happy as he was now and Sakura, she was breaking down the walls that were all around her, she was opening back up to us because of Kakashi and I loved that. It broke my heart to see my best friend hurting like this but, he broke her heart time and time again so for him to now pine for her was just selfish on his part. And I knew him he loved the power lacing through her veins but Kakashi on the other hand, he loved her. He saw past the commander and saw kindness, the warmth that made Sakura who she was, he saw what made Sakura fight for not just one but for every village who needed help. He was amazed by her while Sasuke he was just star struck. That was the difference between the two. I pulled Sakura close to me, wrapping my arm around her laughing, telling her she was going to slow. She rolled her eyes and ignored me, and she continued talking to Hinata.

The café was full of Christmas cheer and bright lights, I loved it! TenTen and Hinata were placing ornaments on a big green tree. Everyone else was sitting around talking and having a nice time. Christmas music played in the background. Sakura went and sat down on the couch; I saw her holding her shoulder, was she in pain?

She caught my eyes and nodded her head over to Hinata, telling me she was ok and to go help her. I did as told walking over and wrapped my arms around Hinata, she laughed and hugged me back. I pulled her to the couch where Sakura was and sat her down. I then went to the bar and got hot chocolate for everyone. I handed Hinata and Sakura their mugs and turned to Sasuke who was glaring at me, daring me to hand him a fruity drink such as hot cocoa. I smiled and handed him his mug. He grunted and took it, seeing Sakura watching us.

Everyone was laughing at Choji who was singing on the karaoke machine in the corner when I looked at the door hearing it open. In walked in Guy, Kakashi and Asuma. Kakashi locked eyes with us, he stopped in his tracks seeing Sakura laughing with Hinata. He physically relaxed seeing that pink hair. I nodded at him, telling him I got her. By now we have learnt that Sakura was free spirited, she didn't like being told what to do and she damn sure didn't sit still. The fact she agreed to stay here with us while she recovers was a huge step. I think that is why Kakashi said nothing to us and moved to the bar he wanted to give her space, so she didn't feel like he was caging her. I respected Kakashi for his over protectiveness and his will power to give Sakura the space she needed; I wasn't sure I could do that. If it was Hinata that was hurt, I wouldn't move from her side.

Twenty minutes passed when Sakura stood, my eyes quickly went to her as Hinata stopped talking wondering where she was going. I felt my mouth drop open watching her move to the bar, she placed her hand on Kakashi's shoulder. We thought she wanted space from him, but she was annoyed he sat at the bar and not beside her. I grinned when she dragged him over to where we were with his friends.

Conversation started right back up, with our sensei's around us it felt more familiar and it was quite nice. Sakura leaned against Kakashi and he took her hand, I could tell he was happier to be beside her. Choji sat on the floor with a colorful box of donuts.

"I can't believe it is so close to Christmas!" He laughed.

"I know!" Kiba gasped, "Only eleven days left, and I barely got any wrapping done!"

"Eleven?" Carver looked up from his steaming mug.

"Yeah!" Kiba laughed, "Thanks for giving us a vacation by the way!"

"I thought it was the eleventh?" Raiden said pointing to a calendar in the back behind the bar.

"Oh!" Tamaki laughed, "Sorry, I always forget to change this thing." She said ripping a few sheets of paper off the calendar. I watched the three-waterfall shinobi all glanced at one another. I brushed it off looking at the Christmas cookies on the table that was for everyone.

"We will back." Carver smiled as he stood.

"Yep!" Radian agreed with a mouthful of cookies. I nodded not really caring until Sakura stood with them.

"Wait what?" I said looking at them, Carver smiled waving at the concern on my face.

"Don't worry about it-" Carver faked a smile.

"Why can't you tell us where you're going?" Kakashi questioned having stood beside Sakura as well.

"Do you trust me?" Sakura asked, Kakashi let out a deep breath.

"Yes." Kakashi forced.

"Then we will be back." Sakura smiled following Carver and Raiden out of the café. I looked at Kakashi, were we really going to let them take off like that looking so suspicious?!

"Naruto?" Hinata sounded worried,

"Don't worry." I smiled at her, "We will be right back." I promised kissing the top of her head. Kakashi was ahead of me already walking out of the building.

"Where the fuck did they go so fast?!" I breathed the cold air in,

"There." Kakashi nodded left, I felt Sasuke following but I didn't have time to worry about him I just needed to make sure Sakura was alright! I followed Kakashi to the training grounds, there I saw the three standing. Carver has his arms crossed looking very unhappy.

"Are you sure you can do this?" He questioned Sakura; her mouth opened to react but shut seeing us jumping into sight.

"Sakura." Kakashi called her name, moving right to her side. He looked at her as if she had been gone for longer than five minutes. He checked her shoulder then the rest of her.

"I am fine Kakashi."

"What is going on?" I asked, "You three all got up and just left!"

"Looks like you don't trust me." Sakura said, I saw the hurt flash through Kakashi's eye.

"Can you blame us!?" I snapped, "You all take off randomly and never tell us the entire truth! We just want to make sure you three are ok!"

"We are." Raiden told me as Sakura's eyes shifted into their pretty glowing eyes, she smiled at my confused face.

"We will be back." She promised.

"You-You said you wouldn't leave!" I whined as a dark portal opened behind the three.

"I am not losing you again!" Kakashi said looking into her glowing eyes. "You are not getting into that thing without me!" He demanded. Yes! Go Kakashi! Sakura looked at his face for a moment and smirked.

"Fine. Get in." She said, Kakashi was taken back a little.

"What?" He was dumbfounded.

"Can you handle that many people?" Carver asked she nodded as her response.

"Are you coming or not?" She called my way, I nodded having no idea what I was getting myself into.


	26. Chapter 26

I stared at the black swirling vortex. It stared down at me with all its unknowingness. The lump in my throat refused to move as I watched Sasuke follow Carver and Raiden into the beast's mouth. Sakura then turned and looked at me waiting. I slowly moved to it investinging its black swirling teeth. I looked back at Sakura taking in a deep breath and stepped through it.

I felt like I was falling. I couldn't control anything and I felt helpless. My body had hot tingles crawling all over. The tingles clawed their way under my skin as my stomach turned, my heart was in my throat. I had my eyes open; I think. I couldn't tell it was all dark, I reached out for something, anything but I felt nothing. My heart felt like it was outside my rib cage pounding in fear!

I felt like a child again, sitting on that old swing with people trying to get far away from me as they looked at me with disgust and fear in their eyes. As quickly as all these emotions hit me, they all left in a swift motion. I opened my eyes feeling warm air breathe on my face.

It was bright, we were standing on a dirt path. Thick trees were all around us, they were lush and full of deep green leaves, they almost put our trees which is what we were known for to shame. I watched as everyone slide off their jackets, scarfs and gloves. I didn't understand why until I felt the heat slip under my clothing and wrap around my body. I followed their actions quickly; it was so fucking hot! Sakura came through the portal, it evaporated behind her.

"Where are we?" I asked looking around, it quite beautiful wherever we were. Before anyone could answer my question there was a rushel in the bushes behind us. I jumped with Kakashi and Sasuke. We had no weapons to defend ourselves, why the hell did we come here so unprepared?! I looked behind me and had to do a double take. Sakura, Raiden and Carver were already walking away from us!

"Hey-Hey?" I called, "What are you guys doing?" I was confused.

"We are safe." Sakura called not looking back on us. What? I looked back and almost fell onto my face, a light bunny hopped out into the dirt path ignoring us.

"Be careful!" Raiden called over his shoulder, "It can smell fear!" He was enjoying my misery!

"Where are we?" I repeated only to be ignored again, I growled annoyed. I looked at Sakura. Something seemed off about her; her eyes were sharp and hard like stone. Her face was twisted with an emotion I couldn't place my finger on. Raiden and Carver had the same look, what was this place? Out of nowhere Sasuke grabbed his head and leaned forward, he cried out in pain.

"Sasuke!?" Igasped touching his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"My-My head." He bit out.

"Your fine." Sakura called sounding bored.

"What did you do to me?" Sasuke called out looking a little sweaty. She stopped walking and turned,

"I gave you the coordinates to this place." She answered.

"What? Why would I want that?" Sasuke asked sounding a little snarky.

"It's the only reason she brought you with us." Carver said.

"Because your brother is buried here." Raiden said so casual and they began to walk up the dirt path.

"My...brother...?" Sasuke breathed, he looked a little sick but he quickly moved to follow the four ahead of us. I watched him feeling a little worried, he looked shaken and Sasuke never looked stirred.

After like four miles up a freaking hill we finally came to a clearing. Bright apple trees were all around us. There was a clearing on the right side, of me, overlooking the scenery I think we were on a cliff. I could hear the slight sounds of a waterfall trickling not far from us. I could hear birds singing their song freely. It was a beautiful place until I seen the crosses. They held names and a head band on every single one of them.

Amethyst, Piper, Percy, Finn, Lance, Octavia and Isadora...I knew that last name I didn't know the others, but I know that one, why? There was another cross I had not read, Sasuke was on his knees in front of it. I walked up beside him and read Itachi's name, his older brother was really buried here. Sasuke appeared broken, I could see the cracks in his armor, and it broke my heart. I wanted to reach out and fix him, but I couldn't fix what had broken inside him...

"Why is he here?" Anger was laced Sasuke's voice, wait why was he mad? Didn't he leave his brothers body to rot? Shouldn't this be making him really happy right now?

"Along time ago." Carver started, "When the Reapers first attacked the Waterfall Village making themselves known, they knew how to hit us hard, they crippled us in just a night." Carver laughed, "That is why the Nine was created." The Nine...their team...these people were their dead teammates!

"I wasn't supposed to be on the Nine." Sakura took over the story which surprised me, "They were hired by me and not the Waterfall Village, but I got into a fight with Kaguya I sealed her inside one of my domes and I took off with them." Sakura smiled sadly at her memories. "The Nine's main mission was to find the Reaper's hideout and then bring them down. After we discovered the Reapers hideout was not in this dimension, we jumped at random as a sad attempt to track them."

"I-" I didn't even know what to say, it wasn't every day Sakura shared her past so I quickly shut up and let her continue.

"That's how we found this place, there are no people here just a few animals and nature. Our teammate Amethyst fell in love with this place. She would bug me nonstop to bring her back here, it was so fucking annoying at the time. When not running after the Reapers we came here, Amethyst was the first to die out of all of us." She said looking back down at the crosses. "When she died, we brought her body here. She loved this place so much I knew she would have wanted to be buried here. But soon after she died the others started to fall as well, and after Amethyst everyone agreed this was where they wanted to be laid to rest."

"So, when one of our comrades died-" Raiden took over, "-We tracked their bodies down and honored their wish."

"This place use to be a safe haven for us, it stood for everything we fought for but now it is a graveyard for our fallen friends." Carver added,

"Itachi was one of us." Sakura turned to Sasuke, "This is where he wanted to be buried."

"What do you mean he was one of you!?" Sasuke stood, "How could he want to be buried here?!"

"Wait..." I spoke up, "Were you guys there when Itachi was..." I trailed off not knowing if I should be asking this question.

"Yes." Carver nodded. "We were there when Itachi was killed."

"What?" Sasuke breathed.

"He wanted to be killed by Sasuke, so who were we to stand in the way of that?" Raiden shrugged,

"We waited-" Carver agreed, "We waited for our friend to be killed so we could bury him and honor his last wishes."

"I want to show you all something." Carver held his hand out for Sasuke who was in shock. Sasuke looked up at Carver and then took his hand. Carver wrapped and arm around Sasuke and led him through that opening in the trees, that I thought was a cliff. Raiden grabbed Kakashi and dragged him. I looked over at Sakura, seeing she was not following, she turned and nodded at me to follow, after a moment I did. I quickly ran through the opening only to stop in my tracks. It was not a cliff it was a hill and hundreds of graves laid in front of me.

I blinked a few times as if I could make this sight vanish.

"Naruto!" I looked forward seeing Carver calling me, he and the others were already at the bottom of the hill. I jogged to catch up with them.

"Carver!" I gasped "What is all this?!" I could feel how full my eyes were. Carver smiled at me weakly and patted the top of my head.

"You are looking at the members of the Nine."

"What?" Sasuke and I asked together, Carver nodded.

"Just because our name was the Nine, doesn't mean there was just nine of us." Raiden half joked.

"What happened?" I breathed.

"What do you think?" Carver asked, "War."

Carver sighed as he looked at each grave sadness in his eyes "These were our family, our friends and we buried every single one of them." I looked at Sasuke and Kakashi I didn't know what to say here, they were going to have to step up.

Why is my brother here?" Sasuke broke the silence.

"Your brother cracked his deal with Sakura, he kind of became a spy for us. Sakura and Itachi became close after that. Itachi saw what we were doing, trying to connect all the villages together he loved it he wanted to be a part of that. And when Itachi saw that none of us held a village, that we fought for all of them that was what sold him on the deal. He became a member in a heartbeat. He wanted a better future for you Sasuke. He said it over and over again." Carver groaned showing how annoyed he was at hearing those words.

"Why didn't you stop the fight." Sasuke whispered, a tear falling down his cheek. Sasuke never cried, I have only seen it once, back when I had to kick his ass to snap him out of wanting to destroy the leaf village. "Why didn't you stop me from killing my brother?"

"Itachi was a great man-" Carver said. "-but what he did to your family, it was killing him inside it ate at him from the inside out. When I got to know him, and when he let his guard down and allowed people in anyone with eyes could see just how much guilt he was holding on his shoulders. The only person he felt that he deserved to die by was you." Carver said looking at Sasuke, "We could have swooped in and stopped the fight, but to prolong Itachi's pain would have been just too selfish. He was barely hanging on by a thread, he loved you Sasuke he loved you so much more than the leaf village. He made Sakura swore that she would protect you, to keep that seal on you. He made all of us swear to watch over you."

"Trust us Sasuke, Itachi wanted to die by your hand." Raiden said, "Don't hold the guilt, do not let it eat at you. That is not what Itachi would have wanted." Raiden said as he went to sit against a tree trunk. After a long time of everyone looking around and trying to wrap our heads around this new information someone finally broke the silence, but it just had to be Raiden the most random person I knew.

"I think I will die by a Reaper, maybe the second in command." Raiden said looking up at the sky. 

"Wh-What?" I laughed.

"Yeah." Raiden said looking at me. "That is how I think I will die."

"You're not going to die." I laughed.

"Yeah, I am." Raiden said as all the humor drained off his face.

"What are you talking about!?" I yelled at Raiden, "Are you insane!? How-"

"Calm down." Carver yawned. How could I calm down?! It was so close to Christmas and is not cheerful holiday talk!

"I had that same look on my face Naruto when Sakura told me how she was going to die." Carver stretched, "But in this life when you are traveling alone as much as we do. You start to think...you start to think about anything and everything, you think about your life and the choices that you have made. You think about it all. And after a while, after a few weeks of always looking over your shoulder, of walking none stop and sleeping in trees and after all the weeks of the cold seeping into your bones, and the stupid energy bars that is every meal you start to think about how you are going to die. Because you see it every day all day. You think about how you will go, you think about when, where, who and by what. You can look at us like we are crazy and that is fine, I didn't believe it at first either, but it gets you..it really does it is one of the risks."

"Risks." Sasuke scoffed, "You guys keep talking about risks, what risks do you guys have to deal with?" He laughed, "You guys get to travel the world! You guys get to-"

"We do not get a home or a warm bed." Carver cut Sasuke off. "We have to travel the world! We do not get to make friends or have families that we can go home to at night. We are always on the move, always looking over our shoulder waiting for the next fight, waiting to see if that is going to be the last one, and some shred of us hopes it is. The only friends we have are other people of the nine, who we only get to see every few months. We are always on our own no village to call home, no safety net. We do not exist. Everyone you see here did not exist! No one knows their names, or who they were or how they died protecting them! No one calls us a hero; we do not get our actions recognized and we do not get praised we are the strangers walking on the sidewalk that no one bats an eye at. No one will know when we die, and no one will miss us when do."

"You guys are not going to die!" I laughed. "Why do you keep saying that?!"

"Naruto...everyone laying here knew they were going to die before their time was up. Everyone here did not die a peaceful death, and they all knew that was going to happen. Like how I know and how Raiden knows that we will die in battle, and we will be buried here. That is a risk we all know we are taking when we sign up. I understand that you do not understand this because you get to think that you will live till you are in your eighties and that you will probably die peacefully in your warm bed. And that is why we are fighting. So, you can think that. But we know that's not true for us, we are not crazy or insane we are just realistic." I looked down. I never once thought about how I would die, I always thought no one could ever take me down. I never thought about who or when or how I was going to die, but they do and they were ok with it, they made peace with it.

"How do you think you are going to die?" Sasuke asked Carver who looked up at the hill.

"Sakura." He said.

"Sakura!?" Kakashi coughed out. "Why do you think Sakura?!" Carver laughed a little.

"Honestly...I don't know how she is still standing." I looked over at where Sakura was. "Sakura has been doing this alone for almost two years before the Nine was put together. She was the only one fighting for the villages on top of Kaguya and her own soldiers. She has been through so much more fucked up shit than we have, she has fought so many more battles and she has buried a lot more people than I have and yet, there she stands strong as ever even though she has gone through so much more than we have and we are barley holding on." Carver said looking at the flower he had picked out of the dirt. "But Sakura fights harder, she protects to many people. She gives too much, the seal that she holds it does give her the strength to be the Reaper of Reapers, but it is a double-sided blade. So yeah, I think I will die fighting Sakura to protect her from herself or something will happen where we flip sides and I have to face her but something inside me, something deep down is telling me that I will die by her blade, and I am strangely ok with that." Carver laughed looking up at us. As Carver and Raiden leaned against the old tree, I could see how tired they were. How tried they were of fighting and traveling and how they just wanted a home and a bed to go to at the end of a long day.

"If you guys are so tired, why don't you stop?" Sasuke asked. "You know you are more than welcome in the leaf village."

Carver smiled. "I know." He looked back at the top of the hill. "I want too, Raiden wants too..."

"Then why don't you!?" I asked feeling a little excited.

"Sakura."

"Sakura?" I asked I looked over at Kakashi. "I am sure she wants to stay in the village."

"She does." Raiden said. "Well...some piece of her does."

"Then why don't you guys!?" I smiled.

"Sakura." The two said.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Sakura will not rest until the Reapers have been ripped apart, and no one can blame her for wanting that. I mean look around the Reapers have killed so many of us, and Sakura made a vow to the Waterfall Village, she will not walk away from them that is what makes Sakura...Sakura." Raiden explained.

"She's been running that village-"

"I know Naruto." Carver said cutting me off. "She can run the village without being there, she does it all the time. But Sakura also has a target on her back, she has a price on her head and if she stations at the leaf village...the Reapers will burn it to the ground, and she knows that, we all do."

"We can protect ourselves." Sasuke said.

"I know you guys can, but Sakura will not station at the Leaf Village, there is just too many people trying to get their hands on her."

"Well..." I said thinking for a second. "I will join the nine! Together we will take the Reapers down and then you guys can come home!" Carver smiled but shook his head slowly.

"I will get back to you on joining the nine in a moment, but it is not just the Reapers that want Sakura."

"Who then?" Kakashi questioned,

"Sakura's seal can bring the human race to its knees and destroy us all. I have seen her do a lot of fucked up shit with seals that have been forgotten and torn out of the ninja world because they were so dangerous. That is why they were all shoved into a seal and casted away. I don't know how Sakura got the seal, but she did and I can tell you hundreds of people who would love to get their hands on her and try to force her to tell them every single seal she knows. It has happened, it could happen again if anyone figured out, she lives anywhere other than the Waterfall Village."

"What do you mean it has happened before?" Kakashi asked,

"What?" Carver asked confused for a moment, "Oh! Sakura was captured about three years ago by I honestly don't know who they were, but they tried to break her by torture, but she didn't break but they tried...point is you all forget that Sakura is a high-priced target. She will be for the rest of her life." Carver looked at Kakashi, "Are you ready for that?"

"I am" Kakashi nodded determination in his eye. I smiled; he really did love her.

"Why did we come here today?" I wondered, "Why couldn't it wait?"

"We always come here on Piper's birthday; it has been our tradition but with everything going on we lost track of the days." Raiden yawned.

"Come on, let's get back to her before she gets bored." Carver waved. Kakashi, Sasuke and I nodded and started our way back up the hill. I looked back with the smiled on my face, but it melted seeing Carver and Raiden looking around, sorrow laces all over their face. They looked around at all the graves, at all their friends. Their family who they had to have missed more than anything. Then it clicked, the look on Sakura's face as we were walking here, the look on all their faces...they hated coming here. It pained them too. But they still came to honor their fallen friends. Carver and Raiden soon followed us, and we made our way back to where Sakura was, who was still standing right where we left her. She was in deep thought or maybe she was lost in her memories. I looked around at the names again. Isadora, why did I know that name?!

"Isadora." Raiden said as he stood next to me. "She died in the first war against the Reapers at the Waterfall Village. She fought beside Sakura I know they were close, I never met her, but I heard all good things. Isadora was Sakura's second in Command before Dawn. Sakura watches over her daughter now I believe." Raiden trailed off looking at Sakura. I remembered! In the waterfall village there was that small red headed girl, Annistyn the short butler guy told us that Sakura watched over her because her mother had died. I looked at the cross again. Sakura has buried a lot of the people she has come to know.

I looked at her, how did she do it? How is she still standing? Carver and Raiden are barely hanging on and yet there she stood strong as ever looking down at her fallen friend mourning her loss like she has done so many times before. I looked at her for a long moment, how did she think she was going to die? Carver placed in hand on Sakura's good shoulder.

"We should get going, we have been away for a long time." Sakura nodded at Carver's words, saying nothing as she turned away. Kakashi wrapped an arm around her. We all made our way down the dirt path. Sakura, Carver and Raiden all looked back a few times, pain on their faces as they left their friends graves.

The rest of the night was quiet and still, the holiday spirit kind of died.

Sakura, Carver and Raiden were all in a weird depressed state. When we all returned home, and after I calmed Hinata down who was freaked out because we all vanished for hours without telling anyone where we were going, why we left or where we were, we all collected in Kakashi's apartment.

Sakura took one look around before she decided on going to bed. Kakashi smiled, he kissed for forehead and followed her into his bedroom. He looked back at me, seeing my worried face he nodded telling me he had her, that she would be ok. I nodded back and he closed the bedroom door. After that everyone drifted off home to do their own thing, I soon went to my own bed and went to sleep with Hinata beside me.

It was a very long emotional day.


	27. Chapter 27

How was today already almost over? I let out an annoyed breath as the elevator opened. I even woke up early today to get in some training with Carver, I had lunch with Hinata and hung out with Sasuke. There were not enough hours in the day, how could anyone expect anyone to get anything done!?

I walked into Kakashi's apartment without knocking, I blinked seeing Sakura was sitting on the floor staring at the TV screen. Multiple colorful boxes were all around her. She had a half-wrapped box in between her legs, it could not be easy to wrap presents with one arm. I tilted my head watching her hand slowly feel around the floor for what I assumed was the tape. I chuckled seeing this, she was so entertained by the screaming people on the screen to notice I had walked in.

On the bright side it seemed Kakashi was able to get her to wear something other than her uniform, she was dressed in jeans and a light blue sweater. It looked so soft I wanted to reach out and touch it, knowing Sakura though she would snap my arm in half. I scanned the apartment, where was Kakashi? I don't think he has left her side since she decided to stay with us.

"Do you need any help?" I asked sliding off my jacket, she didn't look up from the TV. I laughed as the door behind me opened. "Hey Kakashi, do you see this?" I smiled pointing over to Sakura. 

"Right where I left her." He breathed, moving into the room taking off his jacket and tossed it on the side of the couch. "She's really into that Z Nation show." Kakashi said to me.

"Oh, the zombie one." I muttered, not something I would watch a few days before Christmas but whatever makes her happy I guess.

"Yeah." Kakashi chuckled lightly as he sat behind her on the couch, he went through the paper bag, unwrapping a sandwich and placed it in Sakura's hand. He got her to notice there was somehow magical food in her hand, which she started to eat. Kakashi looked down smiling at her, his eyes were so soft as he gazed down at her...I quickly caught the burger he tossed at me, I looked at his as he laughed at my expression.

"Thanks." I smiled sitting on the couch opening it, taking a large bite I looked around at all the gifts.

"This is a lot." I muttered.

"She still has more on the way."

"S-Seriously?" I gasped turning to Kakashi.

"She has a trader coming." Kakashi leaned forward running his fingers through her long hair as she ate and watched TV.

"That's insane." I breathed looking around the apartment, I clearly needed to step up my game.

"Carver and Raiden are doing the same thing." Kakashi said, "I helped Raiden yesterday shop for a few people."

"Why are they going so over the top?" I muttered.

"We can't really judge them for it." Kakashi said,

"Huh?"

"You heard Carver; they haven't celebrated a holiday in years, they are excited." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"I know." I nodded, "It's going to be fun!"

"It is." Kakashi agreed.

"Do you have everything you need for dinner?" I wondered,

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, "I got everything we will need."

"I am so excited!" I beamed, "Now that I finished my shopping, I feel a little more relaxed." I laughed. "Now I just have to wrap it all." I groaned, I hated wrapping I sucked at it.

"Yeah, I haven't wrapped anything." Kakashi muttered leaning back against the couch. I grinned watching Sakura look behind her with an annoyed expression written on her pretty face. She took Kakashi's hand and placed it back on her head. I smiled, feeling the love he held for her as he chuckled and continued to play with the strands of her pink hair.

"Maybe we could wrap together-" I thought out loud thinking it would be fun to spend more time with Kakashi. My voice cut off hearing a loud siren coming from outside.

"What the hell is that?" Sakura turned, her trace from the television screen broken.

"The alarm." I breathed standing.

"That doesn't...." Sakura sighed getting up, "That doesn't tell me anything."

"We put in sirens around the village." Kakashi answered, "It inform everyone if we are being invaded."

"And we are?" Sakura wondered.

"Yes." Kakashi breathed turning to Sakura, he placed both his hands on her shoulders. "You are to stay here."

"Wha-" Sakura did not like that idea.

"We got this!" I gave a thumbs up as Kakashi's door opened, Carver and Raiden jogged in.

"Your here." Raiden smiled.

"Sakura-" Kakashi pulled her attention back onto him.

"I am not-"

"You're staying here." Kakashi ordered.

"I can help-"

"We don't need it." Kakashi was blunt, "Your recovering, we can handle this alone."

"Yeah!" Raiden smiled, "They have us and the people trying to break in aren't Reapers, so you stay here until this is over."

"This is stupid." Sakura was not happy.

"That maybe be-" Kakashi shrugged, "-but we will back ok?" He cupped the side of her face. 

"Fine." Sakura looked so cute when she pouted, I almost wanted to give into her and let her come with us, almost...I turned with Kakashi and ran out of the apartment, Carver said the trouble was brewing at the front gates which generally surprised me. It wasn't the freaking arena for once.

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

Kakashi dropped onto the ground quickly taking in the surroundings. The leaf shinobi were responding well, Carver was a little impressed. Guy and the other sensei accompanied by Naruto's peers kept the intruders by the front gate and didn't let them get into village.

"Son of a bitch." Raiden breathed standing beside Naruto. Four men dressed in different colors stood surrounded by leaf shinobi, Carver and Raiden glanced at each other and the four men pulled their attention to them.

"Well what do we have here?" One man called as he was crowding towards the ground,

"Raiden Peyton." Another from the intruding group called,

"And fucking Carver Bryson." Someone from the group added.

"How do they know you?" Tsunade muttered walking beside Kakashi.

"We had run in with this group a year ago." Carver answered, "They don't like us."

"I am starting to notice a lot of people don't like you." Tsunade sighed as she turned her focus on the four men.

"You're looking at the four remaining members of the assassin group that called themselves the seven deadly sins." Raiden explained.

"Never heard of them." Guy said,

"They weren't your problem." Carver replied, "That's why."

"Who's were they?" Kakashi asked,

"Stop with the whispering." One man dressed in green stepped forward. "If you two are here then your boss isn't too far behind."

"Boss?" Naruto spoke.

"Yeah-" The skinny man in red stood from crouching, "We have some unfinished business their your boss."

"Who is your boss?" Sasuke turned to Carver.

"Take a wild guess." Carver glared at the four members who were able to escape.

"Sakura." Naruto realized.

"Yup." Raiden confirmed.

"Why do they want her?" Kakashi questioned.

"Why else?" Carver darkly laughed, "To kill her."

"Wh-Why!?" Naruto's chest tightened.

"That bitch killed three of us." The man in red spat out, "If you don't summon her then I guess we will just have to beat you until she comes!"

"Yeah right-" Raiden rolled his eyes. "-You could barely scratch last time, which is why you fled and left your friends to die!"

"You-" The man in red pointed at Carver and Raiden. "-I am not worried about; it is your boss that gives us a hard time."

"That's where your fucking up." Carver smiled pulling out a kunai.

Sakura stood off on a nearby building watching the fight. She tilted her head as she pulled her arms closer, she was feeling cold and a little annoyed. She wasn't one to stay back and watch. She sighed hearing Kakashi already beginning to lecture her about leaving his apartment. How could he expect her to just stand back and watch from the bleachers?

Sakura's eyes watched Kakashi and his movements, it wasn't often she gets to see him in a fight. Sakura leaned back on her feet not worried for the safety of the shinobi below her, she knew they could hold their own against those four from the group she thought would crawl under a rock in order to hide from her. If anything, Kakashi was with there and he could protect them if needed.

Sakura bit her bottom lip, watching Kakashi push back one of the main members from the seven deadly sins. He quickly extended his arm igniting his famous chidori in his hand, Sakura could tell he wanted to get this little event over with quickly. Maybe he knew she wasn't patient and wouldn't stay put for long? Sakura moved her eyes away from Kakashi, he was inside a simple fight and was turning her on without even trying.

Hinata was kicked back as a member of the seven deadly sins who held out his hand, a dark chakra began to form. Sakura sighed, the fact they were able to twist their bodies apart and create dark chakra was the reason she hunted them down. Sakura's eyes shifted feeling the jutsu that member was being using she was able to reach out and pluck the strand from this world.

This trait of Sakura due to her eyes was one of the reasons she was so widely feared. Sakura was tied to the God Tree, everything and everyone was connected to it through their chakra, like a thread leading off them and towards the tree. She didn't know much, and there was little information in the world about her abilities since no one has ever been able to do what she could, but she was doing her best to master each skill and understand what had happened to her. She doesn't like to do it often; it takes a large portion of her chakra to reach out and slice a jutsu out of reach, some things shouldn't be allowed in the world. This moment was different, she wanted that jutsu unassessable to fuckers such as the seven deadly sins. Dark chakra should not be played with, not even by her.

The member dressed in blue who stood in front of Hinata stopped moving as he looked at his hand confused. He tried to activate his jutsu that took him so long to learn but couldn't. It wasn't only him that was left unraveled, the other three men were looking just as concerned.

"She is near." A member breathed realizing what was happening. Kakashi narrowed his exposed eye if she was near, he was going to be pissed. Sakura could feel Kakashi's disappointment as she dropped to the ground beside TenTen.

"Sakura!" TenTen breathed, "You shouldn't-"

"Reaper." The man dressed in red tried to give off an intimidating glare causing Sakura to roll her eyes.

"Looks like someone didn't invite us to the party." The man in blue nodded towards Sakura's arm in the black sling. Kakashi moved and stood in front of Sakura, nothing and no one was getting past him.

"I see the rumors are true-" A member dressed in green called looking at his hand. "-you can take jutsu's out of the world if you so please-" Sakura cut the man off as she turned to look at him. Her eyes glowed as she caught the man in a trance, there were some things she didn't want out in the world and the abilities of her eyes were one of them.

"Sakura-" Carver sighed, watching Sakura let the man go from her gaze and sealed them inside a dome so the four members couldn't flee again.

"Your grounded." Raiden sang as Kakashi turned to face her.

"You were supposed to stay inside."

"I did." Sakura said.

"You did not-"

"It's not my fault you didn't tell me how long to stay put."

"You knew what I meant." Kakashi sighed annoyed Sakura found a loophole. 

"Yeah!" Naruto popped up, "You could have been hurt!"

"They were nowhere near me." Sakura reasoned.

"Still." Raiden agreed, "You can't use your arm-" Sakura shot him an annoyed look, she didn't care her arm was a little sore from being dislocated. The only reason she was milking this injury was to stay closer to Kakashi. If it was a normal day for her, she would be inside the Waterfall Village waiting for her soldiers to make a move against her. Tsunade was watching the four men try to break out of the dome.

"What are you doing to do with them?" The Hokage wondered but Sakura had already beat her to the point. Dawn and Diem were waiting on standby for Sakura to send these men over.

"I have arranged something for them." Sakura smiled as her seal wrapped around them whipping them off to their death.

"Where did you send them?" Naruto wondered.

"My village." Sakura answered,

"Why?" Hinata walked up.

"Are you going to put them on trial-?" Naruto spouted off,

"Mmm...something like that." Sakura muttered; the waterfall village didn't really do trials. If a shinobi was a wanted criminal then they were killed on spot, Sakura knew the leaf village wouldn't have the stomach to watch her kill them as they were trapped like mice in a cage so she sent them to her commanders who were bored.

"Why didn't you stay inside?" Kakashi demanded to know.

"Why did you get involved?" Carver sighed, "I wanted to see how the leaf shinobi would do inside a fight."

"You were testing us!?" Naruto yelled,

"Yes." Raiden stretched his arms above his head.

"Well...how did we do?" Naruto muttered,

"You did...good." Carver smiled but glanced at Sakura who sternly shook her head no.

"Well?" Carver turned to Sakura wanting to know why she got in the way.

"I got hungry." Sakura shrugged.

"That-That's-!?" Raiden didn't like that reasoning.

"You could have made yourself food." Carver stated, Sakura shrugged.

"I wanted him." She nodded towards Kakashi.

"So, you got involved in a fight while injured only so you can go hang out with your boyfriend?" Carver shook his head.

"Yup." Sakura smirked at the annoyed faces.

"That is ridiculous!" Raiden frowned, "You must have used up a lot of chakra from cutting-"

"Yeah-Yeah-Yeah!" Sakura waved them off as she took Kakashi's hand and walked away with him.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled not like being left behind. Kakashi sighed but allowed himself to be dragged away by his little cherry blossom.

\----

Kakashi was in his kitchen cooking, he loved to cook. Sakura sat on his couch, her head against the back of the piece of furniture trying to stay awake. Raiden had been right; she used a large chunk of her chakra today and normally she could mask that fact but laying in here inside the safety that Kakashi unknowingly provided she felt her eyes become heavy as she started to drift off.

"I see Raiden was right." Kakashi commented, seeing Sakura was already falling asleep on his couch as he held two bowls of chili.

"No." Sakura muttered, normally her sleepy pout would have been adorable but Kakashi wasn't happy with her right now. She huffed seeing the stern look on his face as he took a seat at the end of the couch.

"Does using your seal to transport place to place take up a lot of chakra?" Kakashi asked, breaking up crackers into his bowl.

"No." Sakura muttered with her eyes closed. Kakashi looked up from his food and then towards her.

"Was it using your eyes then?"

"Why does it matter?" Sakura half whined, she wanted to be held right now not freaking lectured.

"You use your eyes a lot." Kakashi said, "I know what over using my sharingan can do to me, I can only imagine what your eyes do to you-"

"My eyes are fine." Sakura sighed, "It was nothing that you seen me do that tired me out."

"I see." Kakashi said turning to the food in front of him. He knew how concealed Sakura was, he had a feeling if he prided into what she did then they would just get into a fight tonight and that wasn't something he wanted. Sakura was annoyed with the disappointed expression on his handsome face. She wasn't being completely open with him and she could see how it bothered Kakashi.

"I..." Sakura groaned sitting up. "That guy in the blue next to Hinata, well all of them really were using dark chakra."

"We can't use that."

"Well yeah we can't but if you have a body morphing jutsu that lets you convert it then yes you can."

"Then how-"

"I got rid of it." Sakura sighed,

"How...?"

"I can..." Sakura felt exposed and uncomfortable. Only the Nine knew about this ability of hers. "It's a feature of my eyes."

"I am not following you."

"Everything is connected by chakra, everyone and everything has a thread. We all collect together through the God Tree. I can reach into that world and cut the thread of a jutsu or seal. I can't touch people I don't know if that is where my limit is at or if that is something I can learn but...to do that it takes a lot of chakra, that is what Raiden was talking about."

"I get the feeling not a lot of people know about this?"

"Carver and Raiden."

"I see..." Kakashi leaned forward placing a kiss on Sakura's lips, she was surprised. She was expecting him to be upset with her for at least an hour. "Your secret is safe with me." 

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

Kakashi finally let me into his place with Hinata close behind me. Sakura sat on his couch with a glass of wine in her hands. She gave a small wave seeing us,

"Hey Sakura." Hinata smiled,

"What have you guys been doing?" I muttered annoyed, Kakashi sent me away twice! He wouldn't let anyone in!

"Sakura took a nap." Kakashi filled me in as he took his place beside her, they were watching a movie.

"What movie are you watching?" I wondered.

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged, "It just started though."

"Oh cool!" I unzipped my jacket, "Hm?" I noticed the vase full of beautiful flowers. "Who sent you flowers?" I wondered,

"Kakashi gave me those." Sakura sounded amused and I felt myself blush feeling Kakashi's gaze. Why on earth would another man send her flowers at her boyfriend's house!? I was such a moron!

"So-Sorry!" I awkwardly laughed moving to sit beside Hinata who looked interested in the movie. I kind of still forgot that those two were together sometimes, my best friends and sensei. I knew they complimented each other; from what I knew they were both happy inside their relationship and so they didn't need a negative outside force trying to come in between them.

I yawned as I felt extremely bored, Hinata and Sakura appeared to be into the movie but Kakashi and I were just here as pillows. I thanked the heavens hearing the knock on the door, please be Carver or Raiden needing me for something! Get me out of this movie!

"Commander Haruno." A masked shinobi bowed, "There is a traveler here requesting the Reaper. Lady Tsunade had to come to the gates to keep the traveler in check, things are getting out of hand and despite you still being in recovery Lady Tsunade has requested you at the gates." I looked at Sakura who rolled her eyes and she sighed clearly agitated.

"Of course, she would be a handful." Sakura sighed as she got off the couch and went to get her jacket on. Hinata and I followed suit, anything to not have to watch this movie! I followed Kakashi out of the apartment and we began our way to the front gate.

I heard the annoyed yelling before I saw anything. Tsunade was yelling back at someone, she was a dark-skinned kunoichi with long spiky red hair and amber eyes who was glaring at Tsunade and a few guards.

"Karui." Sakura called walking beside Kakashi. The dark-skinned woman looked over at Sakura going from pissed off to excited faster than I could process.

"Sakura!" She beamed, running past Tsunade and hugging Sakura. "It has been forever!" She grunted as the woman known as Karui squeezed her arm inside the black brace.

"Why are you causing trouble?" Sakura asked brushing off the pain, I glanced over at Kakashi who had a hard look in his eye...I didn't see a lot of expressions from him, but I knew he wasn't happy. "I got her from here." Sakura said looking over towards Tsunade and the guards from the front gate who all looked very unhappy.

Tsunade nodded still glaring at the female as she made her exit. Karui or whoever she was cried that she was hungry. She wanted to eat before they discussed anything else. I knew a few people from Sakura's life outside the leaf village, such as Dawn, Carver and Raiden, even that annoying Diem guy and none of those people talked to Sakura in this carefree tone. Who was this woman? How did she know Sakura and what was their relationship?

We all made our way to the café; it was cold, and my fingers felt like they were beginning to freeze solid! I quickly hurried everyone in as I held the door, bouncing as if that could keep my body warm. Karui was the only who one ordered food since Hinata and I ate the leftover chili Kakashi made Sakura for dinner, it was delicious.

"Do you have everything I asked for?" Sakura asked after everyone settled around in what was becoming our normal spot.

"You know it!" Karui acted a little defended Sakura even had to ask. She got up moving to the large duffle bag sitting by her feet. She kneeled opening it, "I have to say Sakura I am so thankful for that jutsu you gave me-" Karui spoke as her whole torso vanished inside the back. I jumped up, quickly turning to Sakura with a freaked expression all over my face, Sakura laughed at it! "-it has really as helped me out!" Her muffled voice called, she popped out of the bag as she pulled out colorful wrapped gifts and handed them to Sakura, which Kakashi took instead. I looked behind me as I saw my friends walking over towards us.

"Hey, what happened at the gate?" Shikamaru asked, "We heard there was a problem."

"No-" I said turning to them, "-just one of Sakura's friends." Everyone looked at the stranger. Karui looked around and appeared annoyed so her response to everyone looking at the new person was to stick her tongue out at everyone. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Real mature Karui." Carver said plopping down on the couch next to me.

"You know her?" I quickly asked.

"Know her?" Raiden laughed, "We have been trying to shake this crazy bitch for years!"

"I am delightful!" Karui snapped,

"About as delightful as a prostate exam." Carver muttered quickly looking away from Karui's glare.

"You make me want to drink." Karui gasped dramatically.

"The air makes you want to drink." Carver said, "You probably have enough booze in your system to open a distillery."

"Sakura!" Karui whined, "Come to the bar with me!"

"Anyone want anything?" Sakura asked standing, I could tell Kakashi wasn't happy she was out and not at his place laying on his couch with him watching movies taking it easy since that was the whole point of her being here right now.

"I'll help!" I called quickly following them, ignoring the annoyed look Karui shot at me. Karui and Sakura ordered drinks at the bar and we stood there waiting for them.

"Sakura..." Karui whispered thinking she was talking so low only Sakura could hear her but Ha! I am a shinobi! I can eavesdrop!

"What?" Sakura turned from staring at a bowl of candy behind the counter. Sakura loved her sugar but Kakashi watched how much she ate of it. He took really good care of her.

"That guy back there, he is so cute!" Karui gushed. "You have to introduce me to him!" I looked behind me trying to figure out which one she was talking about.

"There are a lot of guys walking behind us." Sakura responded, "I'm not going to read your mind, I don't want to be in there again-" Wait....did she just say...can Sakura read minds!? "I can't figure out which one you are talking about."

"The one eating the chips." Karui answered.

"Choji?!" I gasped, Karui looked at me with a bored expression. She then looked back at Sakura whispering about how cute she thought he was, I looked back at Choji. "Choji!?" I gasped again once Karui grabbed only her drink. I took most of our groups drinks since Sakura only had one freaking arm!

"There is someone for everyone in this world Naruto." Sakura said, she was right I shouldn't be so shocked that someone would feel something for Choji at some point in his life, right?

"So." Karui said to Sakura, I looked over seeing the two women were standing. Why weren't they sitting down? Why were we just standing here? "Who is it?" Karui asked Sakura.

"Huh?" Sakura did that cute thing where she tilted her head when she didn't understand something.

"I have known you for a couple years now. It isn't like you to stay in one place long, and you have also been hurt a lot worse than just a shoulder injury so that can't be why you're here, so the only other logical explanation is there's someone keeping you here."

"Why are you reading into my life?" Sakura wondered, "It's kinda creepy." I lightly chuckled at Sakura's comment.

"Is it him?" Karui asked pointing to Shikamaru,

"No."

"It has to be him." She said nodding to Sasuke, "The last Uchiha standing, not to mention he is hot as fuck it has to be good in bed-"

"No." Sakura cut that thought right off!

"Well...then who?" Karui sighed annoyed. I was bored! I looked over seeing Guy had walked in, he laughed seeing Kakashi and instantly wanted to do a challenge with him, I think I heard something about building a snowman? If I was sitting over there and not freaking standing here I would know!

"Well hello." Karui said eye raping my sensei, "Kakashi Hatake, the great copy ninja." She purred; how did she know who Kakashi or even Sasuke was? Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sakura introduce me!" Karui said pointing to Kakashi.

"No." Sakura said about to walk away but Karui grabbed her bad shoulder. I opened my mouth to rip Karui to shreds.

"Why not!?" Karui whined, I didn't like this woman. In the short impression I got of her she was self-centered and was rough handed.

"The drinks are probably getting warm." I commented stepping in.

"Yeah ok." Karui waved me off, "Go sit down, Sakura introduce me to him!"

"You're not Kakashi's type." I muttered,

"How the fuck would you know!?" Karui snapped at me.

"Because-" I was ready to step in but Kakashi beat me to it, he walked right up to Sakura and wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you all set at the bar?"

"Huh?" Karui's mouth dropped open.

"Other people are waiting." Kakashi smiled with his eye, he turned taking Sakura with him.

"By the way-" I added before following, "-It's him."

"Wait Wha-What!?" Karui gasped made me laugh as I took my place beside Hinata. 

\----

I laughed at a joke Raiden said to get a rise out of Karui. I turned my head hearing all the commotion, I forgot everyone was getting together tonight to put up the Christmas tree. I suppose it was a good thing Karui showed when she did, we might have missed this. Shikamaru and TenTen were putting a green tree up on its stand. Neji was muttering orders and Ino was yelling at him to shut up.

Lee was juggling ordainments with Guy; they were the last two in the contest to see who gets to put the star on top of the tree was its finished. Tamaki who was one of the café owners and the girlfriend of Kiba decided since there were so many of us and we all wanted to decorate the Christmas tree it would be best if we all put only one Christmas ornament of our choice each. They will be reused every year. I liked the idea I thought it was nice.

Tamaki was laughing sitting beside Kiba watching everyone fuss. Kakashi was sitting beside Sakura with his arm wrapped around her, he was whispering something in her ear that made her smile. He was ignoring Karui who was trying to absorb all of Sakura’s attention. Carver explain how this was normal for Karui.

"I never thought I would ever see him do anything like that." I muttered watching Neji flirt with TenTen. It seemed so unlike him but then again...Kakashi had his arm around Sakura as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear so what the hell did I know?

"Yeah it is kind of weird." Shikamaru said as he drank a cup of cocoa as he watched the TV hanging on the wall. Man, hot chocolate sounded good and I know Sakura and Hinata liked it, but I didn't want to move. I was so comfortable holding Hinata and chatting with Sakura.

Sasuke walked in, I could see his breath due to the freezing temperature outside.

"Sasuke!" I called waving with my free hand, he nodded but didn't come towards me he just went to the bar. Damn! I wanted to ask him for drinks. Ugh! I pouted to myself as TenTen plopped down and picked up her glass filled with warm cider.

"It is getting crazy outside!" She laughed looking at the large window at the front of the store.

"Yes, we are supposed to get six inches of snow tonight." Shino said coming over from the small table which was in the corner away from everyone. I felt like he sat over there and talked to his bugs half the time, normally he never came around us. Yet here he is pulling up a chair to join.

"That's crazy." I said hating the cold weather. I sighed as I laid my head against Hinata’s. I opened my eyes hearing Sasuke call me a dope I saw an orange mug in my face. "Huh?" I took it from him and looked at it. Hot chocolate! Yes! "Sasuke!" I smiled brightly looking at him as he sat beside Shikamaru. Sasuke had bought everyone a drink, there were a few extras sitting on the coffee table in front of us.

"Might as well." Shikamaru muttered sitting up like it was the hardest thing on the earth. The cup he sat down was empty, he reached and picked up another one. "Thanks man." 

"Yeah." Sasuke muttered waving it off. Tamaki stood up getting the rooms attention. She thanked everyone for helping with the tree, she then plugged it in, and the multiple colors lit up around the tree making it glow and gleam with holiday beauty. 

"Yay!" TenTen and Hinata cheered clapping with everyone else. I turned as everyone else did, seeing Guy and Lee was still going in the contest to see who gets to place the star on the tree. I could tell Lee was getting tired, his arms looked like noodles!

I turned back around looking at the orange ornament I had to put on the tree, it had my red awesome symbol on it with a black line that wrapped around it. I watched as Hinata pulled hers out of the box. My heart skipped a beat seeing a picture of her and I on it. It was during the first snowfall, Hinata had on that dark blue jacket I loved with a purple scarf and a cute little hat. She was leaning against me and smiling as TenTen took the picture. I looked up at her and smiled.

"I love it."

"Thanks." She blushed. "I thought maybe we could sign it, and put the year."

"Yeah! That would be awesome!" I said seeing her pull out a black marker. She wrote the year and signed her name first. I took the fragile ball and signed my name with my horrible handwriting next to her elegant and perfect writing. I looked over seeing TenTen was putting a collection of weapons that she melted together to make an ornament, looking at it you just knew it was hers. I got up with Hinata and we placed our ornaments right next to each other in the middle of the tree.

"Karui?" I heard Sakura’s voice call out. Hinata and I turned to see Karui had fallen inside her bag! I laughed I will not lie it was funny as hell! Sakura had slowly stood and she leaned over the bag as she called her name out again. I could tell Sakura was about to jump in after Karui but Kakashi stopped her, he knelled down as he reached his arm all the way in. Kakashi stood looking as if he was trying to pull a car through the bags opening but instead Karui came into view, huffing and puffing looking shaken.

"Are you ok?" Sakura laughed.

"N-Not funny."

"It was pretty funny." Sakura nodded her head.

"No, it was not."

"Then why am I laughing?"

"Cuz' you’re an asshole! Here." Karui tossed a box at Sakura who caught it. The box fit in her small hand perfectly. What was in it? I walked over, Karui looked embarrassed as she sat on the couch with her hands crossed over her chest. Karui blushed looking away from Kakashi who pulled her to safety. But he was ignoring her and looking at Sakura who was opening the strange white box.

Sakura pulled out a clear, white ornament. I could see the bottom of it appeared to be a mixture of small diamonds and white glitter. I could feel Sakura’s chakra, after a moment my mouth dropped open watching the glass ball in her hand light up and change color as it began to snow inside it! That was the coolest thing I had ever seen! Sakura wrote her name and the year on the bottom of the bulb.

"So pretty!" Hinata gushed getting closer. “How did you do that?”

“It’s easy.” Sakura shrugged,

“Yeah easy for you.” I laughed; I could never do something so cool! I could tell Kiba, Sasuke and even Shikamaru were trying to hide their fascination with it possibly trying to appear manly, I know I was.

"You should place that in the front, so everyone can see it!" TenTen commented as others agreed. Sakura moved over towards the tree she did place it in the front, right next to mine. I smiled watching her do this. She backed away from the tree as everyone gushed at its dazzling beauty, I wasn't sure if they were dazzled by the little glass ball or the owner of it.

I know Kakashi was taken back by her smile which was bathed in the intoxicating Christmas lights that wrapped around the café. Kakashi walked over and led Sakura back to her place on the couch and handed her a cup of hot cocoa that Sasuke bought everyone. Low conversation started up but not for long, glass smashing echoed through the café. Everyone looked over to see that Lee had lost. Guy was laughing looking victorious while Lee looked like he had failed at life for a short moment.

"Come now!" Guy laughed at Lee, "Let’s enjoy the holiday!"

"Ye-Yes Sensei!" Lee said jumping up getting all fired up.

"Well Guy Sensei!" Tamaki laughed as she walked towards them holding a sparkling star. "A deal was a deal; you get to place the star upon the Christmas tree this year!"

"Thank you, Tamaki!" Guy smiled, but his face dropped and he looked serious. "But I cannot except this honor."

"Huh?" Tamaki asked dumbfounded and she blinked.

"For someone else has earned this honor more than I have!" Guy announced.

"What?" Tamaki asked confused turning to Kiba. Guy took the star and walked over and did something I was not expecting...knelled in front of Sakura.

"Commander Haruno-” Guy called, “-You returned to us ready to lay your life on the line to defend this village. You protected and served the Leaf Village even when we didn’t know it. You posted two of your best shinobi in order to get us ready for the new world that is coming. You should do us all the honor of placing our Christmas star this year, you deserve this more than anyone inside this village." Sakura quickly glanced at Kakashi waiting to see if everyone was just fucking with her.

“I uh...” Sakura looked uncomfortable. “Thanks Guy.” Sakura concluded.

“It may not be much Commander-”

“Just Sakura is fine.” Sakura waved her title off. Tears filled Guy’s eyes as he stared at Sakura who looked even more uncomfortable now.

"Sakura!" Guy cried as he marveled in their new friendship making Kakashi chuckle. Kakashi stood as he held his hand out for Sakura to take.

"If you don't mind Guy?" Kakashi asked who simply smiled with nod. Kakashi walked Sakura to the tree, Tamaki had put out a foot stool by it. Kakashi stood beside her and made sure she didn't fall from the two-step footstool. As Sakura placed the star on the top of the tree everyone took pictures, Kakashi held her hand and his free hand was behind his back. This was such a simple task yet it felt so formal. Like this was Sakura’s rite of passage back into the village and back into the hearts of everyone because Sakura was such a huge part of the leaf village before she vanished all those years ago now that she has returned, I have no doubt that she will return to being the heart and soul even if she is the commander of another village. I clapped with everyone else as Sakura turned and smiled.

Outside snow sunk to earth and filled the streets, I sighed it was going to be a cold night. I turned to see Hinata yawn, granted it was only eight at night I stood up and offered my hand out to her. She smiled at me and took it. I looked over and almost fell, seeing Kakashi had just finished putting Sakura’s jacket on her. He was sliding his on and Sasuke was even standing and putting his on! We all hang out too much! We are all starting to think a lot alike.

"Aww! Where are you going?!" Karui whined to Sakura.

"Home." Kakashi answered for her.

"Do you want to crash at our place?" Carver’s voice sounded so forced.

"You have a place?"

"What?" Carver laughed, "You think we are just sleeping outside on the side walk?"

"You guys have done it before." Karui muttered crossing her arms, I didn't like the thought of my friends sleeping out in the streets, Kakashi didn't either seeing as he pulled Sakura close to him as if that was going to shield her from her past.

"You guys never-" Karui went on,

"Karui do you wanna go with us or no?" Carver cut her off sounding annoyed and tired.

"Nah, I am gonna get a hotel room." Karui waved.

"Alright, well goodnight see you in the morning." Raiden called as he and Carver walked out of the café.

"If you need-" Sakura turned her head in Karui direction.

“Your always my first call.” Karui cut Sakura off.

Sakura nodded her head and walked away with Hinata and I hot on her trail. Outside was freaking cold! It was freezing, I really hope my water pipes don’t freeze this year. The air swooped up under my jacket and shirt and onto my warm skin stealing all my warmth. The walk home was hard, the wind pushed and kicked at us and the snow falling from the sky wasn’t helping. I kept Hinata close as I could barely open my eyes from the wind, tears dripped down my cheeks, I could see the light of our apartment building breaking through the snow! I almost jumped seeing the freedom from this storm.

"Do you want to spend the night?” I asked Hinata.

"Yeah!" She called through the wind, I didn't want her to walk home alone and I didn't want to walk to her place and then back here so I was overly joyed she was going to sleep over! Hinata’s face was red from the wind once inside. I huffed and shook the snow out of my hair. The elevator ride was quiet, everyone was probably trying to thaw. With quick good nights we all went our separate ways. I unlocked my door and allowed Hinata to go inside first. I glanced over my shoulder; I wasn’t sure why I did but I felt a need too. I saw Kakashi was leading Sakura inside his apartment, I could hear her laughing. Sasuke stood with his key in his door staring in their direction, my heart hurt seeing the expression on his face. After a second, he opened his door to reveal a lonely and dark looking apartment. I wanted to call out for him to join us tonight for a movie but he closed his door too fast.

“Can we finish that movie we were watching at Kakashi’s?” Hinata broke my trail of thoughts as I felt myself internally cridge thinking back to the movie I thought I had escaped.

“Yeah...” I turned to look at her. “...sure...”

“Yay!” Hinata smiled so big I couldn’t not watch that terrible movie now. 


	28. Chapter 28

"Ah." Sakura moaned out as waves of pleasure flowed through her body, her heart pounding inside her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned her head on Kakashi's bare shoulder as he groaned close to his finish line. The water turned lukewarm from overuse; Sakura opened her eyes feeling Kakashi stand up right. He smiled looking down at her blushed face, it took her a moment to not feel so vulnerable and look him in the eye.

Sakura licked her lips as he followed Kakashi out of the shower, she picked up a towel wrapping it around her body as she moved out of the bathroom to find her phone. Her long hair was already feeling dry, she bit her lip wondering how long they had been in there.

After checking her messages, she tossed her phone on Kakashi's large bed and walked back into the bathroom to get dressed for the day. It was finally Christmas and she knew Naruto and the others will be over early. Kakashi moved to the kitchen and began cooking a large breakfast feeling his good mood soak in, he smiled as he started the coffee pot.

After twenty minutes he was wondering where Sakura was, he removed the last bit of bacon from the pan to the red and green platter before walking into his bedroom. He turned his head and his breath was knocked out of his body. Sakura stood in the bathroom doorway wearing a silver skirt laced with glitter which sparkled when catching the light. She had on a black shirt with a matching cardigan placed over it. A dark green scarf was wrapped around her neck as black leggings covered her long legs.

"What?" She asked putting long dangling earrings in. "Hinata and TenTen wanted to get dressed up today when we all meet at the café." She huffed at Kakashi's stare. "This is my attempt." She shrugged moving to the bathroom to finish her hair. Kakashi walked over, taking her hand in his.

"You look...you look stunning." He breathed as he engulfed her appearance, Sakura was already battle ready, never wearing things such as jewelry, skirts or makeup. It was rare to see her looking all dolled up and Kakashi loved this.

"I do not-"

"You really do." He breathed pressing his lips against hers, staining his mouth with her red lipstick. She smiled against his kiss as she leaned into it.

"I uh..." Kakashi cleared his throat, "...there is something I want to do before anyone gets here."

"Oh?" Sakura smiled as he led her to the bed,

"Wait..." Kakashi knitted his eyebrows together, "-where is your sling?" He noticed her arm wasn't inside it.

"I don't have to wear-"

"Sakura, don't-"

"No really." Sakura laughed, reaching over to her phone and pulled the message from Dr. Yu and showed Kakashi. "I don't have to wear it anymore."

"O-Oh." Kakashi breathed taking the phone from Sakura's hand and reread the message twice. "I see."

"Yeah, my shoulder is a little sore, but I am good-" Sakura's voice faded from Kakashi's mind as his chest tightened. This was it...her shoulder had recovered this was coming to an end. He looked at her as a smile played on her lips as she spoke. She would be returning to the waterfall village soon.

These past weeks had been so amazing for him. He ate dinner with her every night, went to bed and woke up beside her every day, she was always an arm length away but now that would all be changing again. She would be miles away inside a different village, Kakashi pulled his lips together as he went deeper into the thoughts swimming around his head.

There would be days where he didn't hear from her, times when he wouldn't be sure if she was alright or getting attacked by her own soldiers. Nights where he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep because he had grown so accustomed to her laying in his arms. Days would turn into weeks without seeing that beautiful face and blaring green orbs...Kakashi was second guessing himself if he could revert to that.

Kakashi held her soft hand as she talked about shopping for her outfit with Hinata, she felt so warm. He didn't want her leaving, Kakashi leaned forward stopping Sakura midsentence as he kissed her. Sakura was surprised but kissed him back joyfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He loved Sakura, he loved her so much it burned him inside. He didn't want to be apart from her, he realized this woman sitting beside him was the only woman he wanted to kiss for the rest of his life.

He would follow her to the ends of the earth, as he broke the kiss and looked her into her eyes he breathed, his heart melting into her gaze. Kakashi would do what should have been done five years ago, he would leave the leaf village to remain by her side.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's soothing voice broke his trance.

"What?" He asked having no idea what they were talking about.

"You said you wanted to do something before everyone came over?" Sakura smiled at his confused face.

"Right." Kakashi laughed recalling what she was talking about, "Stay here." He said getting up and walking out of the bedroom. Sakura pulled her lips together still feeling Kakashi's kiss.

Kakashi walked back into the bedroom holding a small box in his hand, he sat beside Sakura on the bed handing it to her. She looked from the glittered wrapping paper and then to him.

"Open it." Kakashi motioned, her lips pulled into a smile as she ripped the paper off and opened the black box. She caught the breath in her lungs seeing a bracelet resting inside. She lifted the thin silver chain and ran her fingers over the charm no bigger than a dime, she looked at Kakashi as his clans' symbol was the charm. He gently took it from her fingers. "...For when you're not here." He breathed, looking at his clans symbol for a moment before reaching over putting the bracelet on her right wrist. "A piece of me will always be with you." He smiled looking at her, she moved off the bed.

Kakashi felt alarmed, maybe this had been a terrible idea! Maybe they weren't as close as he believed them to be, he shouldn't have given her his clan—his thoughts were cut off when she hugged him.

"I love it." She said, he instantly smiled hugging her back.

"I'm glad." He replied, Sakura pulled away and walked to her bag. He watched her pull a box wrapped in deep green wrapping paper.

"This is nothing like what you got me but-" She said handing him the box.

"I can wait for the other-"

"No, you don't." Sakura laughed. Kakashi's interest was piqued as he tore the paper away. He looked at a collection of four different colored books.

"A friend of mine reads the same books you like-" Sakura commented on the icha icha paradise series he always reads. "-he said these were the next best thing since Jiraiya isn't around anymore to write any new books."

"A man gave you advice on-"

"He is married-" Sakura said knowing Kakashi had a jealous side. "-with four kids."

"William?" Kakashi guessed remembering the conversation he had with the king of the river village and the promise he made to him to always love Sakura.

"Yes." She laughed, Kakashi nodded feeling better.

"These are...thank you." Kakashi smiled giving Sakura a quick kiss. "I can't wait to read them." He said as Sakura got up having to finish getting ready.

"Is something burning?" Sakura wondered smelling something like burnt toast.

"No." Kakashi said but quickly moving out of the bedroom. Sakura laughed turning to the bathroom looking at the bracelet on her wrist. 

"Good Morning!" Naruto threw open Kakashi's door, he sighed watching the blond quickly turn and call out that the door was unlocked. Kakashi had heard them try to come into the apartment an hour ago but he was busy with Sakura inside the shower. Kakashi smirked under his mask as he turned and greeted the group as they piled in. "Merry Christmas!" Naruto was bubbly for it being ten in the morning.

"Merry Christmas Naruto." Kakashi smiled, "Grab a plate and help yourself." He nodded over to the buffet of eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes he had made for everyone.

"Seriously!?" Raiden perked up.

"Yes." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"You're a good person." Raiden said running past the masked shinobi and almost dived into the free food. Hinata stood behind Naruto and Raiden to afraid she might lose a finger if she tried to get in front of them. Naruto smiled at her, handing her a plate he made her.

"Thank you." Hinata blushed seeing Naruto thought of her first, the blond glanced at Kakashi who was one of his main examples for growing up. Thanks to that silver haired man standing in the living room watching Raiden shovel food in his mouth and Carver poking at all the boxes around the tree in the corner, Naruto grew to be a good man he believed his parents would be proud of. Naruto smiled to himself as he turned to make a plate of food.

The bedroom door opened turning everyone's head, Sakura's hair was styled and pinned back. She fixed her smudged lipstick as she moved into the living room, she looked around at everyone looking at her.

"What?" She asked,

"You look hot!" Raiden called with a mouthful of eggs. Kakashi chuckled, moving to her side handing her a cup of coffee.

"She does." Kakashi agreed.

"I do not." She muttered sipping the sweet liquid that was more cream than coffee.

"So-" Hinata spoke up, lightly surprising Carver since Hinata was so soft spoken. "-Naruto and I were thinking it would be a good idea to open our gifts to each other here and not have to drag them to the café and then back..."

"That's a good idea." Sakura commented causing Hinata to blush.

"Wel-Well it isn't that much of a-"

"A good idea." Naruto smiled at his girlfriend who he couldn't stop staring at. Her long hair was curled, Hinata did her make up this morning and the beautiful dress that Sakura helped Hinata pick out just set it off. Hinata felt Naruto drooling. "Alright let's go get them!" Naruto bounced out of the apartment in a good mood. Kakashi turned to Sakura who sat on the couch waiting for everyone to return with their gifts. Kakashi wanted to talk to Sakura about him leaving the leaf village and following her, he wouldn't do it today, but he wanted to discuss it with her before she left for her village. The thing that scared Kakashi most is even Sakura didn't know when she would be ripped away from him, so he wanted to do it soon. He knew she would fight him on this but...a tingle ran through his heart as he turned to look back at Sakura, she was the woman he wanted to marry.

Kakashi turned his head as Raiden and everyone else made their way back in with piles of wrapped boxes. Everyone sat their piles down, Carver and Hinata went back to eating as Raiden dove into the piles of glittery gifts.

"Are there any for me!?" Raiden sang as he shook a box filled with candy from Hinata to Sakura. Sakura smiled watching her teammates eyes sparkle. "Enough eating-" Raiden yelled coming up for air after scouting out all the boxes. "-let's open gifts!"

"We should wait until after dinner." Carver smiled at Raiden's heated glare.

"That is not how they do it on TV!"

"You can't believe everything you see on TV." Carver shrugged.

"I want to open them now!"

"Well the world doesn't revolve around you now does it?" Carver teased.

"Stop it." Sakura chuckled.

"Yeah!" Raiden agreed. "Let's go!" Raiden yelled at Kakashi and Naruto who were still in the kitchen.

"Ok!" Naruto laughed, "We are coming!"

"Kakashi!" Raiden yelled, Kakashi looked over as he closed the oven after placing the ham for dinner in it.

"I'm coming." He waved moving towards the couch, he sat beside Sakura pulling her close to him.

"Ok!" Raiden said grabbing the first gift. "Hinata!" He read out the name and handed her the purple box. "Next is...Naruto!"

Sakura watched Naruto open her gift, he removed the wrapping paper and pulled out a jacket. Naruto looked it over with wide eyes. This was the biggest Christmas he has ever had, this was the most people he has ever wanted to spend this holiday with and he was so happy tears pricked his eyes as he stood up hugging Sakura for the new jacket. He quickly put it on after taking off his old one, he looked at his arm and seen a red patch holding the leaf villages symbol. He really loved this jacket!

"Huh." Carver said reaching over and felt the material.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"You made that?" Carver turned to Sakura.

"Wh-What?" Naruto turned to the pinkette.

"I did." She nodded.

"How-What-?" Naruto touched his sleeve feeling warm and loved. Sakura took the time out of her day to make this for him?

"How did you know she made it?" Hinata wondered,

"That material-" Carver nodded towards it, "-is made of the same stuff ours and Sakura's are made from, it is strong and hard to cut through."

"Really?" Naruto muttered looking at the jacket.

"Yup." Raiden said, "It can only be made by hand...when do I get a new one?"

"Thank you, Sakura..." Naruto breathed.

"Merry Christmas Naruto." Sakura smiled making Naruto blush.

"Alright!" Raiden called, "Next!"

Kakashi pulled out black pants and a long sleeve shirt made from the same special blend of material made by Sakura, he hugged and thanked her.

"So cool!" Naruto stood seeing the hundred-dollar gift card to Ramen Ichiraku from Kakashi. "You're the best!" Kakashi chuckled lightly at Naruto's excited reaction. It took an hour for everyone to pass out their gifts to each other. Naruto stood up pulling something from his pocket.

"Ah!" Raiden pointed, "No fair!" He liked handing out the gifts to people.

"I know Raiden, I am sorry." Naruto smiled, "But this is different."

"Huh?" Raiden tilted his head as he shoved a handful of jellybeans into his mouth.

"When um..." Naruto laughed nervously. "...when we had to seal Kaguya away, Sasuke and I got marks. He was the moon and I was the sun and that got me thinking...you have those seals placed on us to keep us safe when you're not around. You always have our backs no matter what and your always there when we need you even if we can't see you. Your kind of like a star, we can't always see them, but we know they are always there." Naruto blushed feeling everyone's eyes. "Kakashi and I both got this for you...and um it sounded like a good idea at the time..." Naruto handed Sakura a small box, she looked at Kakashi as she opened it. Inside was a small silver star on a silver chain.

"This is very sweet." She smiled hugging Kakashi and Naruto. "Thank you."

"Here." Kakashi said taking the box from her. Sakura removed her scarf and pulled her aside as Kakashi placed the necklace around her neck, the small start rested on her chest.

"Aw so mushy." Raiden called earning a look from Sakura who placed her scarf back on. 

"What the hell!?" Karui said walking into the apartment with Sasuke beside her.

"Merry-"

"Shut up." Karui glared at Raiden.

"Well good morning to you Mr. Grinch." Carver leaned back.

"You started without me!?" Karui furrowed her brows feeling offended.

"Well...yeah?" Carver shrugged.

"Why?"

"Because you're a fun sucker?" Raiden guessed. "You suck the fun out of the room-"

"I was here like two hours ago, but no one was awake!"

"No, we were." Carver said looking at Raiden, "We just didn't open the door."

"What about you?" Karui turned to Sakura.

"She and him-" Carver pointed to Kakashi and Sakura. "-were who we were all waiting on."

"What the hell?" Karui smacked her lips together.

"Uh..." Sakura trailed off, "We were asleep-?"

"Don't lie." Carver said stirring up trouble. "You both were awake."

"We-uh..." Sakura sputtered,

"What the hell were you doing—oh!" Karui figured out. "It took you two an hour!?" Karui placed her hands on her hips. "I waited an hour before going back to my hotel room!"

"An hour?" Naruto muttered, "An hour to do what?"

"Oh." Raiden laughed, "Bless your little heart."

"What?" Naruto asked clueless.

"How does it take an hour?" Sasuke muttered annoyed at this topic.

"How long does it take you?" Karui turned to Sasuke looking at him up and down like he was a piece of meat.

"It uh...erm." Sasuke cleared his throat. "Shouldn't we be getting to the café? It's almost noon and that is when everyone agreed to meet there."

"Oh, they can wait." Karui answered for everyone.

"Yes, they can." Carver said leaning on his arm enjoying the show.

"It's not your business." Sasuke said looking at Karui annoyed how she was trying to undress him with her eyes.

"Mmm, if you say the right answer it might be." Karui winked as Carver broke out in laughter.

"What is going on?" Naruto asked.

"Sex." Sakura answered, "They are talking about sex." Naruto blinked before turning a bright shade of red.

"Wh-Wh-Why are we talking about this!?" Naruto felt uncomfortable.

"Because you guys had to wait for those two to finish." Carver explained to Naruto, tainting his innocent little ears.

"Why are you so annoyed Sasuke?" Raiden wondered,

"I don't know." Carver answered for the raven-haired man. "The only way I could see him being annoyed is if he lasted two minutes and-" Carver laughed reading Sasuke's stern face. "-no fucking way!"

"Aw man..." Raiden laughed. "That is rough. I thought you slept around?"

"I do-" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Then how do you get laid?" Carver wondered.

"Don't tell me you just ride the ride until you get off and then leave?" Karui said looking at Sasuke like he was a waste of a good ass.

"What else would-" Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aw man." Carver shook his head as Naruto and Hinata sat in silence both their faces burnt a bright red. "That is the biggest dick move."

"How do you get laid?" Sakura wondered; Naruto flipped his head to look at her. "What?" She asked if he did that to every woman, he slept with then word would get around he was a two-minute wonder and that isn't worth raising your body count.

"Do you at least have a big dick?" Karui wanted to know if she was going to try and bark up this tree, she wanted to know she wasn't wasting her time.

"Ok!" Naruto shot to his feet. "Time to go to the café!"

"Hold on." Karui instructed, "I want to know this."

"Wh-Why?"

"I want to get laid tonight?" Karui duhed Naruto.

"I-It's Christmas!"

"Naruto." Carver stood seeing this conversation was dying. "Word of advice-"

"What?" Naruto asked,

"Nice guys-" Carver smirked, "-always finish last."

"U-Um." Hinata was bright red as she moved closer towards Sakura who was amused by her shyness.

"Alright!" Naruto said over this, "Get your stuff, shut up and let's go!"

"Alright." Carver raised his hands as he stood.

"Sakura...?" Karui said looking at Kakashi up and down. "...do you like to share?"

"Only if you want to lose an arm." She flashed a smile, daring her to go near Kakashi.

"Ok." Karui raised her hands taking one last peek at the masked man. Damn... Karui shook her head with a huff. Kakashi liked when Sakura was possessive of him.

"By the way Naruto-" Sakura said as everyone piled out of the apartment, making their way to the café.

"Yeah?" He asked as Kakashi locked the door.

"Carver is right." Sakura flashed a playful smirk seeing Naruto blush again.

"I-I don't want to talk about this with you." He shook his head.

"But you say I am your best friend, if not me who can you talk to about these things then?" Sakura pointed out.

"I-I don't know but you're a girl and-"

"How about with me then?" Kakashi asked wrapping an arm around Sakura. "Sensei will teach you, if you want a keep a beautiful girl then you have to meet her needs to-"

"I am going now!" Naruto said grabbing Hinata's hands and running forward.

"Your terrible." Raiden laughed seeing Sakura enjoyed teasing Naruto.

"It's so fun and easy." Sakura laughed, "It's hard not to."

"I feel that." Carver loved taunting Naruto, he got so worked up so quickly. It was like winding up a toy and watching it go. 

"Merry Christmas!" People greeted as Naruto and the others were the last to get to the café.

"Where have you guys been?" TenTen said.

"We got a late start." Sakura answered, Naruto turned and glared at her head. She was a liar!

"Your arm is better?" Kiba noticed Sakura wasn't using a sling today.

"Yeah it's getting there." Sakura flashed a smile leaving a few starstruck by her natural beauty. Naruto shook his head seeing Sasuke was one of these people. Sakura sat in her normal place by the arm of the couch facing the entrance so she can gaze out the window. Karui pulled her lips in a thin line not liking how she was feeling out of the loop. So, she got up and jumped on the arm of the couch beside Sakura.

"Son of a-" Sakura hissed as Karui crushed her healing shoulder. Kakashi reacted faster than Karui as he pushed her off the couch. She fell on her face as everyone collected worried as Sakura held her shoulder.

"Are you ok!?" Hinata breathed.

"Yeah." Sakura said through her teeth.

"Your lying!" Naruto saw.

"What the hell was that!?" Karui popped up but was ignored. "Oh, I see." Karui rolled her eyes earning an annoyed look from Sakura. "You are being pampered by your little boyfriend and now you are used to the good life-"

"You know-" Sakura laughed, "-I may have been out of the field for a while, but I can still kick your ass."

"Oh, you think so?" Kurai laughed, Naruto looked between them. Why was Sakura friends with a woman like this?

"I know I can." Sakura sharpened her glare on Karui who looked like she needed to be knocked down a few pegs.

"Even without your little seal?" Karui went on against Carver and Raiden sending her neon signs telling her to shut up! "I bet one hit and you'll be down!"

"I have the Reapers poison in my system." Sakura informed, "Take your best shot but you better make it count because if I get up your fucked."

Karui pondered for a moment watching Sakura's blank face and feeling everyone's unpleased glares. Kakashi had a dark look in his exposed eye, he dared Karui to raise one finger against his girlfriend.

"Well ok then Commander." Karui said sitting on the couch across from Sakura. "I see you haven't lost your intimidation tactics." She said stretching. Sakura leaned against Kakashi ignoring all the stares they were getting.

"S-So who wants to open up the gifts?" Hinata said trying to break the tension brewing around everyone.

"Me!" Raiden jumped making everyone chuckle.

In a wave of voices everyone pulled out their gifts and handed them off. Sakura handed hers and everyone was gushing. TenTen got a new set of weapons that were made of rare and strong metal. Choji got a nice basket of different variety foods. Shikamaru got a back massager which he was already sing and groaning in delight. Kiba got new dog toys for his furry partner and a box of biscuits, he swore to Sakura he doesn't eat them. She rolled her eyes enjoying Kiba ruffled. Sai got new art supplies, Neji got a new sword and so on. They were all rare things you could not find in this village, so everyone was excited. Sakura called Kurai into the leaf village for these items, gifts for these people around her.

"What is that?" Karui asked, Naruto looked over his shoulder seeing a small stage in the back of the store.

"It's a stage." Naruto stated earning an annoyed look.

"I know what it is! I want to know if it works!?"

"Well yeah." Naruto muttered as he walked away from Karui and her negative cloud. Tsunade walked in looking concerned,

"Everything ok Lady Tsunade?" TenTen asked seeing the hokage's face.

"Is she alright?!" Tsunade questioned.

"Who?"

"Sakura!"

"What did I do now?" She asked hearing her name.

"Your fine?" Tsunade blinked.

"Erm...I think so...?" She half joked. "Why do you ask?"

"I got a text saying you were hurt!" Tsunade sighed.

"Who told you I was hurt?"

"Sasuke did!"

"Why?" Sakura turned to Sasuke who blushed under the weight of the rooms gaze.

"I-Well you were..."

"I am fine." Sakura stated, moving towards the couch picking up a red bag. "In any case here." She handed the bag to Tsunade.

"What is this?"

"It's Christmas so..." Sakura shrugged as Tsunade opened it seeing a rare and expensive bottle of rum.

"I-It's so nice."

"Yeah." Sakura muttered thinking this felt a little weird.

"You should join us!" Naruto stepped in.

"Um...maybe..." Tsunade muttered as Naruto dragged her to sit in a chair next to the couch.

"Well now you don't have a choice!" Naruto smiled as everyone sat down looking at their new toys. Karui turned to look at the stage again.

"Why don't you go sing?" Choji asked with a smile, "I am sure you are amazing at it."

"No, I am not!" Karui laughed. "I sound like a dying cat but..." She said looking over, her eyes scanning over Kakashi's strong looking arms that pulled her to safety from her dangerous bag. "Sakura!" Karui whined.

"No." Sakura said not looking up from her hot chocolate as she was collecting the marshmallows to eat them before they melted. Kakashi watched her amused as he ran his fingers through a few strands.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask you!"

"I don't care." Sakura said still not looking up.

"Please sing us a Christmas song!" Karui wined.

"No."

"Please!"

"Hell no."

"Why not?!"

"I said so."

"Please!"

"No."

"Kakashi!"

"Why the fuck are you bringing him in this?"

"Don't you want to hear your girlfriend sing?" Karui ignored Sakura

"No." Sakura said for Kakashi.

"Please! I will never ask for anything ever again!"

"I have heard that before."

"When!?"

"When I traveled with you to the River Village, when I brought you with me to the Mist Village, when I-"

"Ok-Ok! But please Sakura you sing so pretty, and I really want to hear you sing."

"How much of Tsunade's gift have you drank?" Sakura asked knowing Tsunade had been sharing it with a few people.

"N-Not a lot." Karui smiled. "PLEASE!"

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Sakura overpowered Karui's voice.

"Yes." Karui sheepishly smiled.

"Fine." Sakura sighed trying to keep this day fun for Naruto knowing how excited he was for it.

"Yay!" Karui cheered as Sakura got up and walked over to the stage, Kakashi and others followed. Sakura turned on the machine beside her and waited for the music.

"I can't believe I am doing this." Sakura muttered to herself annoyed.

"You got this!" Hinata and TenTen cheered her on from in front of the stage, Sakura smiled at the two women who she was growing close to.

((Song Choice -- Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped in Red))

"Everybody's happy, snow is falling down. Prays are being answered, miracles all around. From afar I've loved you but never let it show and every year another December comes and goes. Always watching, never reaching-" Sakura's voice filled the café, it was strong and steady. The crowd blurred out and Kakashi was the only one left, she reaches out feeling a need to touch him. Kakashi smiled under his mask, lacing his fingers through hers. "So, I found a color that only tells the truth. That paints a picture of how I feel for you-" She was so unreal, sitting there looking so picture perfect. Sakura felt to the people watching if they reached up and touched her, she would riffle away like a reflection in water. She appeared so perfect propped up on that stood, singing into the mic as if she has done that every day since she left five years ago.

This was not the Sakura Naruto grew up with, and he realized that now. That Sakura with short controlled hair was so shy and scared but this one was so statuesque. You couldn't help but admire her with all the confidence that poured off her, she was so dazzling on stage, you couldn't rip her eyes off her she as if she was a siren. When she first arrived all team seven and the leaf village kept seeing was the baby faced short pink haired girl they grew up with.

But now, they could no longer see that image in her, all they could remember when they weren't near Sakura was the grown curves on her face, the burning flakes of deep green in her eyes. It was such a fast song no one could believe it was over already. Everyone clapped and cheered yelling for another one song. Sakura shook her head no laughing. She stood and took Kakashi's hand, which was reached out for support. He helped her off the stage and everyone moved back to the couch.

For a long time Karui watched Sakura as she interacted with the people around her. Karui looked confused but no one asked her about it. Three hours passed, a lot of cookies, candies and all other kinds of sweets were eaten, everyone played with their new gifts and a lot of conversation was going on when Karui spoke up.

"You are different." She said to Sakura who looked over.

"What?" Karui was looking between Sakura and Kakashi.

"I don't like this Sakura." Karui shook her head, Naruto looked around as if he couldn't believe his own ears.

"I am the same-" Sakura began,

"You are not."

"How so?"

"What happened to you?" Karui asked, "You never let anyone get close, you never ever let a man help you, you never showed pain and you were always such a force to be reckoned with but now..." 

"Sakura is perfect the way she is." Kakashi said fire in his eye. "Just because she is with me doesn't change who she is. Showing your pain does not make you weak, I understand that the Waterfall Village believes this and that is their right. But Sakura has come a long way we have fought her. She is an amazing soldier yes; she is still the Reaper but that doesn't define her. You only know one piece of her and that may scare you as you witness more pieces that make her who she is become known, but we see more of the puzzle than you do. Do not come here seeing only a fraction of the picture and then tell her she should revert back to how she was because that is wrong." Kakashi said then he turned to her, "I love her the way she is, flaws and all." He looked at Karui. "So do not tell her that her showing her emotions are wrong, because that is what makes her so amazing."

After that conversation everyone was quiet the environment dropped, and it felt weird as everyone looked at each other. Naruto yawned and looked around as Karui remained seated and Kakashi was still glaring. He scratched his cheek as I looked over at Hinata not really knowing how to lighten the mood.

"Order up!" Tamaki called out, she was allowing the café to remain open today, Kiba sat at the bar and talked to her as she worked racking in the money. Carver and Naruto stood moving towards the counter, Guy called out to Kakashi wanting to see who could build the best snowman.

"Sakura!" Hinata gasped covering her mouth, Naruto and Kakashi snapped their attention back around. Sakura was standing, Karui was stumbling back holding her nose as Sakura snatched the kunai from Karui.

"Are you kidding me!?" Naruto yelled out, "It's Christmas!"

"I'm sorry Naruto." Sakura said looking over at Karui who was trying to stop her nose from bleeding. Sakura sighed, maybe she should have stayed away today...

"I-I didn't mean you!" Naruto sighed, Kakashi stood having enough of this. This was not the waterfall village; people were not going to randomly attack his girlfriend if they wanted to then they would need to get passed him first.

"You haven't lost your touch." Karui said looking at Sakura's stale face. "I am impressed."

"Did you really expect anything less from-" Raiden muttered.

"From staying inside a two-bit village yeah-" Karui cut Raiden off, "-I expected you three to be off your game."

"Two bit..." Naruto repeated feeling highly insulted.

"You need to leave." Carver stood, today was getting ruined. He knew his two teammates were looking forward to their first holiday in years. Carver wasn't going to stand by and let an unstable fireball ruin it. 

"I don't take orders from you." Karui darky laughed.

"Karui." Sakura called walking around Kakashi, Naruto couldn't read Sakura's face to try and figure out what she was thinking. "What is going on?" She asked confusing a lot of people, Karui and Sakura stared off for a moment until out of the blue she broke into tears. Naruto backed away and Carver was taken back, he wasn't expecting this turn of events.

"I'm so tired Sakura!" Karui cried, Sakura's face softened.

"Karui..."

"I'm sorry Sakura! I-I saw how well you were fitting into this village and I was just jealous that I can't be like that!"

"Well I am uncomfortable." Raiden muttered as Carver nodded in agreement.

"I tried being like you and I failed..." Karui looked at her feet.

"You don't need to be like me." Sakura said.

"But I want to be-!" Karui cried out. "-I have always wanted to be like you, you're so strong and so amazing. You travel for months on end sleeping in trees and in the gutters and I couldn't even sleep on a cot! I have seen you after some of your battles! You looked like you were being held together with tape and string with a huge hole in your side!"

"Karui, do not idolize me-" Sakura tried to speak.

"You believe you're a terrible role model but the truth is you're not. You believe in honor and justice for all. You stay true to your word and to your friends, your family is everything to you! You would die for them and I am scared just by a spider being three feet from me!"

"Karui, if you would stop cutting me off, I can tell you that your strong, I know you don't see or believe it but in your own ways you are. Your sweet and caring under all that...you...you're an amazing person if you just would let someone see it instead of pushing everyone away like you are doing right now." Sakura said.

"I know Sakura I am scared I will be pushed away! I really like being here inside this village!" Karui said looking around at everyone watching her unravel. "I really like-" Karui cut herself off as she glanced over at Choji. 

Raiden puffed, crossing his arms leaning back against the couch.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked,

"No!" Raiden gasped,

"Why not?" Naruto smiled at his annoyed expression.

"Cuz! Santa Clause 2 is playing on in an hour!" Raiden's face was so serious as if this was a major act in history. Naruto laughed looking at the clock, it was almost five, where did the time go? Kakashi glanced at his watch as he stood turning to Sakura.

"I have to go check on the ham-" He muttered looking at his pink haired beauty. "-will you join me?"

"Of course." Sakura standing with Kakashi. Naruto watched feeling the urge to go too. He looked at Hinata and was surprised to see her putting her jacket on.

"Hinata?"

"What?" She asked, "You heard Raiden Santa Clause 2 is almost on!" She said which made him laugh.

"How could I forget?" Naruto said as the six people excused themselves and went out into the blazing cold. Kakashi's apartment smelt amazing as they walked in, Hinata and Raiden went right to the television as they pulled their jackets off. Two long tables were pushed together, a red and green table cloth was draped over and chairs were placed all around it. Sakura was setting the table.

"It's going to be a tight fit." Kakashi muttered looking around. 

"Yeah." Sakura agreed. 

"Maybe next year we could have this party somewhere else...maybe like a house." Kakashi dared to test the waters to see where Sakura stood in their relationship. The four watching the TV were peeking over the couch watching Sakura and Kakashi. 

"Maybe." Sakura responded, "It could be a second story."

"With a large yard." Kakashi commented back, Sakura turned her head towards Naruto and the others feeling their gaze. 

"What's on next?" Carver cleared his throat acting as if they hadn't been eavesdropping. 

"Elf." Naruto answered looking at the guide.

"Never seen it." Raiden said. 

"Ugh!" Naruto gushed, annoyed Raiden hadn't seen any of the best movies. 

"Your going to love it." Hinata smiled in Raiden's direction. 

"It will be if I was allowed to eat!" Raiden yelled in Kakashi's direction who wouldn't let anyone munch on snacks until dinner. 

"Dinners almost done." Kakashi waved him off earning a dramatic sigh. 

As the night came to a close, despite the bit of drama it shaped up to be one of the best Christmas Naruto and the others have had. 

More Chapters will be posted 5/30/2020


	29. Chapter 29

Kakashi was walking back home with a grocery bag in his hand, he was lost in his thoughts staring mindlessly at his book wondering what to make for dinner tonight. He wanted to make something different, everytime Sakura eats something she really enjoys her face lights up as she smiles.

"Kakashi!" Naruto waved, the masked shinobi turned his head and waved.

"Hello Naruto."

"What are you up too?" Naruto wondered looking at the bag.

"Just had to run to the store for a few things?"

"Oh?" Naruto nodded, "Where is Sakura?" He and that pink haired beauty were never apart.

"She was taking a nap." Kakashi said, "I didn't want to wake her."

"Oh..." Naruto muttered, "Her shoulder getting better?"

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, "She went to her doctor this morning."

"And?"

"She should be getting her full range of motion back soon."

"I see..." Naruto muttered, he was happy Sakura was getting better and all but when she did get better that would mean she would leave the leaf village. "S-So any plans for tonight?" Naruto tried to perk up,

"Hm nothing really." Kakashi smiled under his mask. It had been a few days since Christmas, Carver and Raiden still were not training the leaf shinobi until after the new year.

"You mind if I come over?" Naruto wondered.

"Sure." Kakashi shrugged as they walked off the elevator.

"Because I fucking said no!" Sakura's voice boomed, Kakashi and Naruto glanced at each other before running the rest of the way. Naruto saw Carver, Raiden and Sakura standing inside Kakashi's place all three soldiers looked extremely unpleased.

"Everything ok?" Kakashi questioned setting the bag on the table.

"Yes." Sakura said,

"No." Carver said at the same time causing Sakura and Carver to return glaring at one another.

"What is this about?" Naruto asked slowly seeing the thick tension.

"Nothing." Sakura stated never removing her eyes from Carver's.

"Why don't we ask them?" Carver thought out loud knowing it would piss her off.

"Because I fucking said no." Sakura repeated.

"Ask who what?" Naruto wondered getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Don't take any offence to this-" Carver turned to Naruto. "-but some of your comrades are not-" 

"Carver!" Sakura called,

"-They are not improving fast enough." Carver went on anyway.

"Ok...?" Naruto said, "What does that have to do with this?" He wondered what had Sakura looking so pissed of.

"We want to send you guys to-"

"Don't make me warn you again." Sakura laughed, anger bubbling inside her.

"Why?" Carver snapped. "Why are we sheltering them!?"

"Drop it." Sakura ordered.

"Carver and I want to send a few of you who are not keeping up to the Waterfall's training grounds!" Raiden called out, facing Sakura. "There! It is out in the open!"

"You fucking-" Sakura glared into him.

"What is so bad about the waterfall's training grounds?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing." Carver softened his voice. "It is a helpful-"

"I am not sending anyone there." Sakura stated, "End of fucking conversation!"

"If we don't then we are going to be here for months, and yes I want to be here Naruto don't freak out-" Carver pointed to the blond, "-you know this is the right move, if we were in any other village this would be the move we would have made weeks ago!"

"We are not in another village." Sakura said taking a step closer to Carver, "So fucking drop it-"

"What is so bad about these training grounds!?" Naruto shouted, "Is it inside the village or-"

"No." Carver said staring into Sakura's blazing orbs.

"If it isn't inside the Waterfall Village then what is the issue?" Kakashi asked moving beside Sakura and touching her lower back in an attempt to calm her down.

"I said no-" Sakura said, "-there is no need to continue this conversation."

"Why is it up to you?" Raiden asked, "Why can't the leaf shinobi make their own decision?"

"Because I said no?" Sakura stated again.

"That's kind of fucked up." Carver laughed, "You can't baby them forever, and you damn sure can't keep sheltering them like we have been doing. It is tearing you apart-"

"You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do." Sakura said getting in Carver's personal space. "Maybe I have been too relaxed around you two and you forgot your fucking place-"

"Sakura-" Raiden sighed. "No-"

"I think they are right." Naruto said, "If this is something Carver and Raiden believe will make us stronger why not try it?"

"See!" Carver said.

"No." Sakura said again. "Don't fucking ask me again." She directed towards her two comrades.

"We are not kids!" Naruto called clearly on Carver's side. "We can make our own choices Sakura, it's ok." Sakura looked back from Naruto to Carver and laughed.

"You're a fucking moron." Sakura glared into Naruto whose stomach turned sour seeing that anger on her face towards him. "Let them explain what my training grounds are to you and let's see if you have the balls to step into it." She spat as she turned as left the apartment.

"Sakura!" Naruto called but was stopped by Raiden as Carver stopped Kakashi from following.

"Nope." Carver shook his head, "She needs a second."

"She-" Kakashi was not going to stay here while Sakura was this upset!

"Trust me." Carver sighed, "Just hear us out and then you can go after her."

"Ok..." Naruto said looking from the two, "Explain just what exactly are these training grounds."

"They are what Sakura used to train Raiden and myself as well as her entire army." Carver sighed as he took a seat on the couch. "It's why half the Waterfall Village are trained killers and the other half are somewhat normal."

"I..." Kakashi shook his head. "I don't understand."

"The training grounds Sakura uses is not in this dimension." Raiden said,

"It's not...what now?" Naruto asked.

"It's in a different dimension." Carver repeated, "Best way to put it is...well...time passes differently there. It is a lot faster than how it moves here, when the Waterfall Village torn down and made into Purgatory Sakura needed an army and she needed one fast in order to end Purgatory because the Sand Village was ready to start an assault. The training grounds breaks apart the person's mind, it hurts like a motherfucker when you what you believed to be years shoved into your brain when in reality it was just weeks."

"That is how Sakura first discovered this place she was mindless jumping around because she was new with her eyes and didn't know how to control it." Carver said,

"Wow..." Naruto breathed.

"It is a lot." Carver nodded,

"And it's weird." Raiden muttered, "But I think it is what would be best for your village."

"Why doesn't Sakura want to send us there then?" Kakashi questioned.

"When you're inside that place...it honestly fucks with you it isn't easy to control the flow of time but Sakura can. So, when we start the training, we shatter that person's mind apart and if we don't put them back together right then well..."

"They are forever broken?" Kakashi said.

"Something like that." Carver nodded,

"Why is her army the way it is?" Naruto asked.

"When she first started training inside that place, she wasn't the person she is today." Carver said looking at the floor. "She was ruthless and she honestly terrified me..."

"When you break someone apart the way we would need to do you your shinobi something like an imprint is left inside that person and so...they are what they are..."

"I see." Naruto nodded to himself.

"You should talk to your friends-" Raiden said, "-tell them what we told you and we will give an announcement explaining further into what will happen."

"Yeah..." Naruto said,

"Think it over, take your time." Carver said, "This isn't something to be taken lightly."

"Ok." Naruto said standing. "I'm gonna head home-" Naruto said turning to Kakashi who nodded.

"We are going to-" Raiden said standing, "-you don't care." Raiden muttered, knowing they had pissed of his girlfriend taking any chance of having a good night away from him as they bailed moving to the apartment they had taken over from Sakura. Kakashi sighed grabbing his jacket and walking out of the apartment to go try and find her who he prayed was still inside the village. Tonight, was the night he wanted to discuss his choice to leave the leaf village and join the Sakura. He didn't care what that meant for him, joining the waterfall village or becoming what Raiden and Carver were as long as he had her Kakashi didn't care. He couldn't really bring this up now, could he?

As Kakashi moved away from his place to find Sakura she had other ideas, she went to his place. It was warm as she changed into shorts and one of Kakashi's shirts. She rolled the sleeves up as she grabbed her computer; she was already annoyed might as well do some work. Sakura bit her lip glancing at Kakashi's bed, she loved his bed. It was a king-sized mattress that hugged her body when she crawled in between the soft sheets, she could lay in it all day. She groaned moving to sit at Kakashi's table instead, she should get some type of work done today.

\----

Kakashi opened his door spotting her pink hair instantly, he was annoyed. He ran all over the village searching for her when she had been here the entire time. He removed his jacket tossing it on the couch, he took in her attire loving when she wore his clothes.

"Are you ok?" He asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Peachy." She said reading over the documents. Kakashi smiled down at her as he moved to change clothes. After a quick shower to warm up Kakashi grabbed the first book Sakura had gotten him for Christmas, grabbed two hot cups of tea and sat across from her. He opened it to the first page as he sipped the hot liquid.

Kakashi looked up, half way done with the book generally surprised how much he was enjoying the book. He gazed at Sakura who made faces at her computer, Kakashi was pretty sure she didn't know she did these small things. She made a face at the screen when she was annoyed by something.

"What?" She breathed to herself, Kakashi smiled pulling the book back to his eyes, he was right. He loved this...this simple moment of doing nothing he loved the most, he turned watching her call someone.

"Sakura-!" Dawn smiled on the other line of the phone.

"What the fuck am I looking at?" Sakura asked as her head begun to hurt.

"Huh?"

"The fucking-" Sakura went of ranting.

"Oh that!" Dawn laughed, "It's for a pool."

"What?" Sakura rubbed her face. "I think I just had my first fucking senior moment, what the fuck did you just say?"

"A pool!" Dawn yelled louder not getting Sakura was giving her a chance to change her answer.

"Why the fuck did you put in a request for a pool?" Sakura didn't understand.

"Because it is great for training-" Dawn went on to explain why they needed a large inground pool.

"It's a hole in the ground." Sakura stated, "It's a fucking hole in the ground with water in it." Kakashi smirked at her.

"Yeah...?" Dawn didn't understand.

"We are the Waterfall Village; I am sure you don't have to look far to find one!"

"That is not the same thing!" Dawn defended.

"I will buy you some fucking flamingo floaties, other than that your request is denied!"

"Sakura!"

"Bye!" Sakura hung up the phone with an annoyed huff, she was feeling tired and her head was hurting.

"Are you ready to go to bed?" Kakashi asked.

"I have this to finish." She motioned to the computer.

"I see." Kakashi nodded slowly standing. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah I have been putting it off for a while-" Sakura stopped talking watching as Kakashi slowly removed his shirt from his body. It took Sakura a moment to kick start her brain.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he closed the space between them,

"Kissing you goodnight." Kakashi breathed leaning down.

"You have to take your shirt off to do that?"

"When do I ever sleep in my clothes?" He wondered, "You always take them off me."

"I-I do not do that."

"Mhm." Kakashi hummed softly kissing her, as he did so he placed a hand on the side of her face. Sakura leaned into his touch as he slowly closed her laptop, she was coming to bed with him. He wrapped an arm around her lifting her off the chair. She breathed letting him steal her from her obligations feeling his lips on her jaw.

\----

Kakashi woke up naked alone in his bed, he ran his fingers through his hair as he sat up looking around. He moved to get out of bed, tossing on baggy sweatpants. He entered the kitchen and stepped back covering his mouth and nose as a strong punch of garlic hit him.

"Sakura?" He called moving near her, she looked up from the oven hearing her name.

"Hey." She said,

"What um...what's going on?" Kakashi asked looking at the mess inside the kitchen.

"I'm cooking." Sakura answered turning back to painting pizza sauce she had made onto dough.

"You...cooked?" Kakashi said walking up behind her, placing his hands on her hips as he peeked over his shoulder.

"Yes." Sakura smiled feeling proud. "You always cook for me so I thought I could give it a try."

"I see..." Kakashi nodded,

"You might want to get dressed." Sakura commented to his bare chest and unmasked face.

"Why would I want to do that?" He smirked flipping her around and kissed her. "How about we work up an appetite?"

"I invited Naruto and-" Sakura cut herself off as someone walked into the front door falling backwards on the floor.

"Why the fuck is it locked!?" Raiden's voice yelled at it, Kakashi shook his head giving Sakura a kiss before returning to his bedroom. Sakura walked over unlocked and opened the solid wooden door. Raiden sat on his ass holding his nose.

"You know doors are solid objects, right?" Sakura asked,

"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Raiden stood, "Why is it locked?!"

"Because that is what doors do." Sakura smiled moving aside.

"Hey Sakura." Naruto smiled as Hinata waved.

"Hey." Sakura greeted waiting for the four to pile into the apartment, Sasuke was opening his apartment holding a bag of groceries. Sakura and Sasuke locked eyes, she blinked before closing and locking the door.

"So, what's up?" Naruto asked.

"I invited you all over for dinner." Sakura said moving towards the kitchen, she was still pissed at Carver and Raiden, but she was trying to hold that back to enjoy a nice night.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, "What is Kakashi cooking?!"

"Kakashi isn't cooking tonight." Sakura said.

"What takeout did you get?" Carver wondered.

"None." Sakura said, "I am cooking."

"Huh?" Raiden quickly turned to look at the pinkette.

"You cooked...food?" Carver said standing from the couch looking at Raiden.

"What else would I make?" Sakura muttered moving to check on the pizzas.

"We uh..." Carver trailed off as his stomach turned recalling the last time Sakura cooked a meal. Raiden felt himself turning green, he threw up for two days.

"Ah!" Raiden sighed, "We forgot to do the thing!" He said looking at Carver who quickly caught on.

"What thing?" Naruto asked.

"The uh..." Raiden smiled, "...reports on you guys!"

"Yeah, we have been putting it off since the holiday and what not, sorry Sakura!"

"Yeah and you wanted it yesterday, so we have been working on it all day to hurry and get it to you!" Raiden flashed a fake grin.

"It's fine." Sakura shrugged, "Get it to me when your-"

"No!" Raiden and Carver said together,

"I mean-" Carver chuckled, "-we can't start slacking now!"

"You already do?" Sakura muttered,

"We better-" Raiden said moving towards the door, "-we thought you needed us for like...something important but save us some food!"

"Yeah!" Carver agreed as they quickly opened the door, "Have a nice night!"

"Bye!" Raiden and Carver ran down the hall.

"Those guys are weird." Hinata giggled,

"They are something else." Sakura agreed. Kakashi walked out of the bedroom dressed in pants, a plain shirt and his famous mask.

"Hey Kakashi!" Naruto waved,

"Good evening Naruto." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"So, what are you making?!" Naruto was excited,

"Pizza." Sakura answered,

"Yes!" Naruto loved pizza.

"It's almost done." Sakura waved everyone out of the kitchen, Kakashi stood beside her before he too got kicked out.

Sakura sat a platter of pizza; Naruto was so excited as he grabbed the biggest slice. Sakura turned to get the dipping sauces. Naruto took a bite freezing as his face turned a shade blue,

"Naruto?" Hinata wondered as Naruto remained frozen as the heavy taste of dirt and garlic burnt his throat.

"How is it?" Sakura asked returning.

"I-It's great!" Naruto laughed as his stomach already turned at the high amount of salt from just the first bite. Naruto glared at the door understanding why Raiden and Carver took off once they discovered who was cooking tonight. Hinata and Naruto watched Sakura with open mouths as she casually ate the pizza she made. 

"How is she eating that?" Hinata whispered to Naruto, 

"I-I honestly don't know." Naruto replied.

"What are you two whispering about?" Sakura took her attention off the TV screen. 

"Er..." Hinata blushed. 

"Uh-Uh...um drugs!" Naruto sputtered out. 

"Drugs?" Sakura repeated raising an eyebrow. 

"Ye-Yeah!" Naruto's voice was unnaturally high. 

"Why?"

"Just...reminding Hinata that they are bad for you!" Sakura rolled her eyes at how innocent Naruto was, sitting beside him reminded her how stained and cracked she really was. 

"Sa-Say Kakashi what are you doing in there!?" Hinata changed the conversation, Kakashi walked out from the kitchen into the living room holding a empty plate as he chewed his last bite. 

"Nothing." He smiled with his eye. 

"You-You ate that entire pizza!?" Naruto gasped, how the hell-?!

"Of course." Kakashi said, "Sakura made it for me." Sakura perked up hearing this, she turned to look at the masked shinobi. 

"Did you like it?"

"Yes." He said sitting beside her, "It was very good." He smiled with his eye at her making her feel happy, while Naruto sat at the end of the couch with his eye twitching. He was lying to her! This food was terrible but then again...Naruto looked at Hinata who nibbled the pizza trying to keep her face natural. 

If Hinata had cooked and it didn't turn out well, he would still eat it and smile because he loved her and wanted to make her feel good. Naruto smiled understanding Kakashi as he looked over at Sakura. 

"Yeah-" Naruto agreed, "-this is really good, thanks Sakura!" He took another big bite mimicking a peloton as he swallowed the food whole, but failed. Naruto quickly grabbed the bottle of water as chugged half of it trying to get the solid mass down his throat. He gasped air in and blushed seeing everyone was watching him. 

"You doing ok?" Sakura wondered, 

"Ye-Yeah!" Naruto laughed awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. 

The things you do for love.

Naruto entered Kakashi's apartment, he was excited to head to the café and hangout. His smiled dropped through, seeing Sakura walk out of Kakashi's bedroom dressed in her uniform and gear from the waterfall village.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked as his stomach felt unsettled, he knew this moment would be coming but he hadn't prepared himself for it. "Where are you going?" Sakura looked up; she had tucked Kakashi's bracelet in her glove.

"I have to go." Her answers were always so vague.

"Go?" Naruto asked, he quickly looked around for Kakashi. Maybe he could get her to stay just a little longer. "Where is Kakashi?"

"He was pulled into a meeting with the other sensei." Sakura answered,

"Wait...he doesn't even know your leaving?!"

"He knows I could have to leave in a moments notice." Sakura said picking up her blade.

"But-But-"

"Naruto." Sakura turned to look at him, "I have been here for weeks."

"Yeah but-"

"It's time for me to get back to where I belong."

"You belong here-!" Naruto shouted over the wind as it wiggled its way inside the apartment. "-with Kakashi and me!"

"Naruto-" Sakura sighed as she began to transport herself out of the leaf village. "-I don't belong here."

"What-What does that mean!?" Naruto yelled as Sakura vanished out of sight. Tears pricked his eyes as he cursed the empty room.

"Yo." Raiden poked his head in. "Everything alright?"

"No." Naruto whispered,

"Huh?"

"Sakura left."

"I see that." Carver said coming into view looking around the apartment, "She stayed longer than I thought she would."

"She said she didn't belong here." Naruto breathed, turning to the only two other people who really knew her. "What did she mean by that?"

"Well..." Raiden sighed rubbing his neck,

"She is the Commander of another village." Carver muttered,

"Where is Kakashi?"

"In a meeting with Granny Tsunade." Naruto sighed,

"Oh..." Raiden knew Kakashi wasn't going to be happy when he gets home, Raiden smacked his lips together, "I wonder what's going on that she had to leave so suddenly."

"Who felt so suddenly?" Kakashi said standing behind Raiden and Carver. Raiden jumped forward a little startled by his sudden presence. 

"Hey Kakashi!" Raiden laughed having hoped to not be here when he got home. Kakashi already knew the answer, he knew Sakura had left...he never got the chance to talk to her and now he had to wait to see if she returned to him or not.

\----

It was New Year's, the leaf village was getting ready to celebrate it. As Naruto walked home with Hinata in hand, Kakashi gazed out his window. It had only been three simple days since she had been gone but he already missed her. He never got to say goodbye, he never got to hug her, and he never told her he wanted to leave the village in order to stay by her side. He hated this; he closed his eye feeling the sting of not being able to see your loved one during a special holiday. He wanted Sakura here with him, he wanted to count down the hours to the new year and he wanted to kiss her at midnight.

Kakashi walked through the day feeling like there was a piece of him missing. He spent time with Iruka and Guy, he ate lunch with Naruto and as the day grew into night and everyone collected at the café he felt as if he was just going through the emotions like he had been doing his entire life. Sakura woke him up, she showed him the bright colors of the world and to go back to white and black was impossible.

Kakashi stood from sitting in the café, Guy called out to him but Kakashi couldn't stay inside this building full of happy people watching the clock waiting until midnight. He didn't have her here with him, so he didn't want to count the minutes with everyone, and he didn't want to bring the room down, so he left. Kakashi walked through the darkened streets, his hands in his pockets and his head down staring at the sidewalk.

"Yeah-" A voice laughed, "-that's the face of a happy person." Kakashi spun around seeing her pink hair catching the moon light between its strands. He breathed out seeing her, his heart fluttered as he pushed himself to close the gap between them as he wrapped his arms around her, he felt himself let out a breath he had been holding since she felt. His chest loosened and he felt like he could breathe again.

"Your here."

"Well yeah-" Sakura smiled, "-there is someone I have to kiss at midnight." A smirked played on her lips as Kakashi pulled her back into his embrace just so happy to see her again. Three days was too long to be away from her.

"Sakura-" Kakashi said, "-I want to leave with-" He breathed but she pulled his mask down as the clock hit midnight, she kissed him. Kakashi closed his eye leaning into her warm kiss as he took over slipping his tongue into her mouth and cupped her face. It had been too long since he kissed her, he quickly broke the kiss. "-where did you go!?" Sakura laughed at his stern face. "Sakura."

"I had some things to take care of." She shrugged.

"What happened? You left so suddenly and-"

"I know, and I am sorry I didn't see you before I left."

"We had this conversation; you can't just vanish like this!"

"It's my job Kakashi." Sakura said, "I can do my best to keep in touch with you but sometimes I just can't do what you think I should."

"Sakura I-"

"I know." She said stepping into a hug. "I know..." She breathed closing her eyes, she had missed him while outside the village.

The next morning Sakura pulled Carver and Raiden aside and agreed to send the leaf shinobi to the waterfalls training grounds but on one condition; she picks who goes and who doesn't.

"What made you change your mind?" Carver asked as they made their way to the arena where the first training session was about to begin since vacation ended. It was the first of January and it was time to get back to work!

"Where did you go?" Raiden wondered as well.

"No?" Sakura sighed, "Can't just be happy I am giving you what you want? You have to twenty question me?"

"Yes." Raiden smiled, "That's why you love us!"

"I am questioning myself then." She said,

"Hey!" Raiden acted offended.

"So-" Carver said getting to the point, "-we collected everyone we would like to send to the grounds."

"Awesome." Sakura breathed still not fully happy about this as they walked into sight of the large crowd waiting around. "Nope." She said instantly.

"You just got here."

"You're not sending them." She said turning to her soldiers who groaned annoyed at her babying team seven.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, "Lee, Hinata, TenTen-" She continued as she scanned over the crowd. Her heart skipped seeing Kakashi standing in the crowd. "Really-?" She asked turning to Carver and Raiden.

"What?" Carver defended, "He was willing."

"Fuck off." She shook her head turning to the group. "If I call your name move behind me." Sakura ordered; the four shinobi she had called did as told. "Kakashi, Guy-" She shook her head feeling extremely annoyed.

"What?" Guy asked as he and Kakashi made their way to her, she ignored them as she scanned over the collection of people...she didn't care about them she nodded over towards Carver and Raiden who in return jogged towards the group.

"You're not letting us go." Hinata realized.

"What!?" Naruto went to argument, but he was too late Sakura as well as the large group in front of them were being wrapped inside wind. "Son of a bitch!" Naruto cursed seeing they had been left behind. Kakashi's jaw tightened, he couldn't understand why Sakura wouldn't want him going with her.

\----

Sakura walked into Kakashi's apartment using the key he gave her, her mind was shattered to pieces returning from the training grounds, she only left due to the large amount of time that had passed her and the shinobi trapped inside the grounds. She had grown to miss Kakashi, a part of her knew it hadn't been the three years she was trying to currently absorb. She walked into his dark bedroom seeing he was asleep under the covers. Kakashi's favorite moments were sitting around with Sakura as they just enjoyed their company but for Sakura it was this part of her day. She stripped her clothing as she pulled on Kakashi's discarded shirt off the floor then crawled onto bed.

"Sakura?" Kakashi breathed being stirred awake by her moving around, he didn't question her presence he just opened his arms and felt her crawl into him. Her legs tangled with his as she buried her face in his neck.

Sakura had woken up early, crawled out of Kakashi's arms and quickly got dressed leaving his apartment without stirring him awake. She wanted to stay, eat breakfast have a long conversation with him but she needed to get back to Carver and Raiden, she couldn't be long. Sakura was already feeling annoyed with herself that she even left in the first place.

"Sakura." Kakashi called sending shivers down her spine, Sakura turned around seeing team seven standing before her. Apparently she hadn't been as slick as she thought. 

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"We wanna tag along." Naruto smiled giving her a thumbs up.

"No." Sakura said.

"Those are our shinobi inside your training grounds!" Naruto shouted, "Why don't you want us there with you!? I thought you cared about us-"

"That is why you're not there!" Sakura snapped, she hated feeling guilty for doing the right thing, and when Kakashi was unpleased with her that feeling nagged at her and it was extremely annoying.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto whined, "It will be ok!" He smiled, "We promise, take us with you!" Sakura knew he wasn't going to drop this, and she knew if she left Kakashi would be left to question her motives and drawing up false conclusions.

"Fine." Sakura stated, as a portal opened behind her, "Get in." Team seven didn't questioned her, they quickly moved inside the black vortex. Naruto didn't question the scary looking portal because he knew it was Sakura's, she would never do anything to harm them.

Naruto felt cold, it wrapped around him like he had been dropped inside a snowbank. The frost reached through his skin, he felt it grip onto his bones tightly. Kakashi looked around a darkened area as long fingers tried to pry into his skull and worm its way into his brain. Naruto wanted to scream, to push that dark feeling away from him but he couldn't move or speak he could barely even think.

After a moment Sakura collected herself quickly wrapping a dark dome around her and team seven, shielding them from the effects of this dimension. She raised them off the ground, she didn't want team seven to be near any people or any of the creatures that crawled around this place.

Naruto opened his eyes, feeling a headache but he could control his thoughts now. He stood seeing the dome that flew them over a ruined city. Sasuke rubbed his arms, that coldness didn't completely go away it just dulled itself.

Stone buildings were everywhere but they were broken down and crumbling to pieces. It appeared as if no one had been here in years. Kakashi saw in the distance a haunted forest rested at the edge of the city. Where were they and what was this cities story?

Naruto smiled, seeing familiar faces below but his smile dropped as his face turned confused. "Sakura what is this place?" He asked.

"The Waterfall training grounds." Sakura answered, "This is where the waterfall village soldiers get trained."

"But..." Naruto muttered still confused as to what he was seeing.

"We are in a different dimension." Sakura reminded him, team seven looked down at the people below...they appeared almost holographic, splitting into different colors as each color moved differently as if they were glitching.

"You looked confused." Sakura smirked,

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted, "What is wrong with them!"

"Nothing." Sakura shrugged,

"Oh, bullshit I have eyes I can see they look broken or something! Sakura fix them!"

"They are Naruto." Sakura sighed, "The longer you are in this place, the more you will break."

"Break?" Sasuke frowned.

"The more pieces of you break the more colors you split into, its different versions of yourself in different time zones. From what I can figure each color is a year."

"So...I can see three different colors so...?"

"So-" Sakura stepped in for Naruto. "-your shinobi down there believe they have been here three years."

"What happened when they go home?" Sasuke wondered,

"That is the hard part." Sakura said,

"They go back together, right?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Carver, Raiden and I will put them back together." Sakura flashed a smile.

"Why didn't you want us here?" Naruto asked,

"Because this place changes you." Sakura answered,

"I don't think it-"

"No-" Sakura cut Sasuke off, "-those people down there will be changed when they return home."

"What do you mean changed?"

"It varies from person to person; it could be a few small things or drastic like a favorite color or taste or it could be their whole personalities could be altered."

"That is why you didn't want us here?" Kakashi wondered.

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod looking at Kakashi. "I figured Carver and Raiden sugar coated it, but I didn't want this place changing you because your great as you already are." Kakashi wrapped an arm around her pulling her tight, he understood now.

Naruto saw domes floating their way to them, they morphed into the large dome they stood in, Carver and Raiden dropped from the ceiling.

"Hey guys!" Raiden smiled weakly.

"Hey." Carver waved.

"I cannot believe this is how you trained your army." Naruto breathed.

"Yeah." Carver sighed, "It is a lot to take in."

"You did not tell us this place was like this!" Naruto accused.

"We did so." Raiden said, "You just don't listen!"

"Look at them!" Naruto yelled pointing to the shinobi down below. "You did not say that would happen!"

"We told you this place rips apart their minds." Raiden said looking around, remembering his time here. "How is everything in the out?"

"Still standing." Sakura answered,

"We better get going." Carver said, "Can't leave them alone to long, it was nice seeing you guys." Naruto watched them leave in dark domes, he was sad they were already leaving, they had just gotten here.

"Does this place affect you guys too?" Sasuke wondered,

"Yes."

"So-" Naruto turned around, "-it has been three years in your head?"

"Yes." Sakura answered again taking in the feel of Kakashi's arms around her. The masked shinobi looked down at her, he hadn't realized that she too was affected, and time was altered for her. Three years...with seeing him or Naruto...

"Is that why you come back?" Naruto wondered, "Because it had been so long?"

"Yeah, I might have missed you." She smirked.

"Sakura." Sasuke called who was watching Carver and Raiden, who the hell would want to willingly be trapped in this place for years only training?

"Hm?" She hummed.

"How do you get that respect from them?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked,

"Carver and Raiden, they would die for you. Your guys bond is a lot stronger than anyone I have ever seen. Not just anyone would come here and train for you like they are doing." Sasuke asked looking at her.

"It is simple." She said.

"What?"

"What you see is not respect." Sakura said.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Sakura closed her eyes and looked down at her feet for a moment.

"What you see is loyalty and fear." She said looking at team seven.

"Fear?" Naruto laughed a little, "Carver and Raiden do not fear you."

"Not on the surface." She said looking back down on them. "Carver and Raiden at first were both trained as a part of my army. I was never supposed to be a part of their team, they were never supposed to be more than soldiers to me." She explained. "When you tear apart the mind of a person and shove down their throat years inside just a few weeks you break them, I shattered who Carver and Raiden were as I will do with your leaf shinobi."

"I don't understand-" Sasuke shook his head.

"When their training here is complete, I will bring them home. In order to do that I need to build them all back together and when I do that, I brand them for the rest of their life. This method was one of the main keys in my training, to make the soldier only loyal to me, it was a failsafe switch incase anything were to happen with Kaguya."

"But why would they be scared of you?" Naruto wondered.

"The fear you three will never understand because I won't let you stay here long enough to be effected, but there are no words to explain how it feels to stay inside this place, there are no words to tell you how it feels to have your mind ripped apart and to have thousands of hours shoved into it and then to have your brain shoved back together and repaired with tape all in a few short weeks. The only word I can find is pain, when looking back on the training all you can remember is that cold pain..."

"If it hurts so bad, why do it here?" Naruto asked,

"At the time the Waterfall Village had no army and we needed one fast, I didn't have years to train people, so when I found this place...it was a tool for an instant army." Sakura said as truthfully as she could, she was not holding anything back. A bright light shined behind Naruto, he turned seeing a portal opening.

"Time to go." Sakura called.

"What? Why?" Naruto questioned

"Because this place will start to affect you." She answered.

"Oh." He said looking at the light. Sasuke stepped through without another word, he didn't like being here. Naruto and Kakashi turned seeing Sakura wasn't moving to follow.

"Are you not coming?" Naruto asked Kakashi's question.

"I have to stay here." Sakura said.

"For how long?"

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged, "That depends on your shinobi."

"But it has already been three years for you in this place..." Naruto shook his head, that concept was hard for him to understand.

"Yes." Sakura shook her head. She walked over and smiled at the blond-haired boy as she pushed him back, he fell through the portal.

"Sakura." Kakashi said,

"What?" She laughed, "You have a better way to get rid of him?" She wondered as she walked into his arm, quickly getting the mask out of the way and kissed him.

"Let me stay with you." He breathed,

"No." Sakura answered against his lips, Kakashi leaned back not liking that answer.

"I-"

"Carver, Raiden and I are in no place to rush over and defend the Leaf Village if needed. These shinobi will need weeks before they can function when I return them...I need to know your there protecting it because the Reapers still want something from your village."

"I want to stay with you." Kakashi breathed, cupping her face.

"Me too." She smiled; she has really missed him. Sakura grinned as she pulled his mask over his face.

"Sakura?" Kakashi was confused for a moment until the portal opened underneath his feet, he quickly looked back to her as he began to fall.

"I'll see you..." She watched the portal closed. "...in a few years..." She breathed as her heart clenched.

\----

Naruto looked at Kakashi feeling nervous as Sakura's seals became activated inside the leaf village's arena. Kakashi's eye was hard as he waited for the wind to collect, bringing her to him after four long weeks.

"How long do you think it would have been for them?" Hinata wondered.

"Well..." Naruto muttered, "We did see them a month ago and that was like three years so..." Naruto's head hurt as he tried to do math.

"Seven." Kakashi answered, "It should be seven years their time since they have been gone."

"Wow..." Naruto breathed, "To think you have been gone for that long only to find that it's only been a month and a half would be..."

"Mind altering." Tsunade stepped beside Kakashi. The conversation fell flat as the dome of pressured air shattered leaving the large group in its place. Kakashi moved first, running to her side. His exposed eye widened as he caught her instead of embraced.

"Sakura!?" Kakashi kneeled beside her, feeling panicked.

"She is fine." Carver breathed dropping to his knees.

"Raiden?" Naruto asked touching his shoulder.

"He's fine too."

"What-"

"It took-" Carver breathed standing to his feet. "-a lot of chakra to get us back, that and with seven years of memories all forming together it tired her out."

"And Raiden?" Naruto asked,

"He is a lazy ass." Carver laughed, "He doesn't like doing work." Tsunade looked at all the stone faces of her shinobi. They all appeared stiff and jiggered looking around with wild eyes.

"They will mellow out." Sakura breathed opening her eyes.

"Sakura." Kakashi smiled under his mask, she looked at him and smiled. She reached out and touched his arm happy to hear his voice.

"Are you ok?" Hinata asked,

"Yeah." Sakura breathed, "We are just going to need to sleep for a few days." She half joked as she got to her feet.

Sakura sighed ready for a hot shower she felt so sweaty and grimy, a good meal because she was fucking starving and so tired of protein bars, and to be able to crawl into Kakashi's bed relax her tired body. Her head felt like it was splitting open, her bones felt sore and muscles felt like cold lunch meat. Training the leaf shinobi may have only been a little over a month but seven long years was scrambling inside her brain. It was like trying to fit a whale through your front door. Carver and Raiden were in the same boat as Sakura, they needed a day or two off to just adjust. Carver pulled his phone from his pocket feeling it ring. It had been so long since he played with this thing, he had to remember how to answer it.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Dawn's voice screamed through the line.

"Huh?" Carver was too tired to deal with her.

"Do you know where Sakura is? She isn't answering her phone."

"Yeah she is right next to me you're on speaker." Carver said thinking about getting takeout, the only question now was from where...?

"Sakura-" Dawn breathed,

"Yeah." Sakura called letting her commander know she was here.

"-the Reapers are attacking us-" Sakura snapped up hearing this.

"What!?" Raiden turned his attention to the phone.

"-We can handle this-" Dawn said ignoring Raiden, "-the Reapers have also launched a strike against the Sand Village, the River Village and the Mist Village." Carver, Raiden and Sakura all looked from one another as this sunk in. Naruto's mouth hung open as he turned to Tsunade who didn't know what to say. "Sakura?" Dawn called as an explosion went off in the background.

"We got it." Sakura finally snapped out of it, Carver hung up the phone as he and Raiden pulled out their swords. There was no time for any other words, no goodbyes or time to listen to Naruto and the others try to convince Sakura to take them with her. Sakura pulled her sword from her back as wind quickly wrapped around them.

"Sakura!" Kakashi's eye widened.

"Those shinobi need two weeks off to adjust." Sakura called as Carver and Raiden disappeared. "No training." Kakashi walked forward, needing to go with her but she needed him here. Sakura vanished with the strong force of the wind.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled but there was nothing he could do she was already being whipped into battle.


	30. Chapter 30

Sakura clinched her head as pain shot through it, shattering her seal into pieces she fell to earth from her dome. Sakura gasped as her skull was being pulled apart from inside her body. Sakura picked herself up from being dropped to the ground, she watched her hand split into multiple colors, she used too much chakra she was tired, and her body couldn't readjust to this dimension.

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment trying to calm herself, the Sand Village was strong, Gaara was a fine shinobi and could hold their own against the Reapers until she got there. Sakura felt buzzing on her leg, her phone was going off, but she had to ignore it. She knew it was most likely Naruto or Kakashi trying to get a hold of her. Sakura pulled herself to her feet as she opened a portal in front of her as it formed and was ready to be stepped through a large explosion erupted behind her. Sakura spun around, seeing the smoke floating into the air polluting the clear sky.

The leaf village was under attack.

Sakura didn't need to decide on which village to rescue today, she bolted her portal spitting as it evaporated. She ran with everything she had in the direction of the leaf village, praying she could stop the reapers before there was too much damage. She jumped over the gates of the leaf village; her feet didn't even hit the pavement as she was already investigating around her surroundings.

Sakura ran through the village; citizens were running for cover. She quickly sliced a masked reaper down before he got too close to her. Sakura rounded a corner but stopped in her tracks. Sakura's heart twisted in pain; her breath clogged her throat as she forgot how to breathe for a moment.

Sakura had seen hundreds of thousands of bodies lying on the ground growing cold. Sakura has seen her friends, her teammates and soldiers she trained all fall onto their knees as she watched their battle end. She held onto countless friends as they took their last breath and their eyes lost their shine. All off that was nothing to how she felt now, she gasped dropping to one knee beside a body.

"Hinata..." Sakura whispered her name. She looked at her friend with a heavy heart, Hinata laid on the sidewalk her eyes open looking at the sky, they were still and lifeless. Her throat had a deep gash running a crossed her flesh, blood covered her chest and stomach as well as the sidewalk. Sakura looked away as she covered her mouth, she saw Hinata's crushed phone a few feet away. Had Hinata been the person calling her? "I'm so sorry." Sakura breathed blinking her eyes as an old feeling stung her eyes. She hadn't cried in years and today couldn't be the day she breaks. Sakura rose to her feet there were still other people inside this village that needed to be saved, Sakura told herself she will come back later and bury Hinata's body properly.

Sakura had a million guesses of where to go first, she looked around trying to find Kakashi's chakra but couldn't. She cursed and decided to run towards the screaming instead. Sakura's eyes shifted into their glowing Christmas wreaths as she felt her body duplicate itself into clones identical to her fill the space around her. She needed more than one pair of eyes, we sent them through the leaf village.

Sakura was didn't have the option of pulling Carver or Raiden back and she couldn't call upon her own soldiers since they were all fighting their own war, she was the only back up the leaf village had.

The clones Sakura had summoned were not the traditional clone that she grew up learning while in the academy or while on team seven. These clones Sakura made by hand; it took her years to master them. They were special and took up a great deal of chakra which the seal gave supplied her, no one that Sakura has come across has been able to copy her clones. It was the one time where Sakura would have to use the full ability of the seal.

The clones are her army, they will run across the village getting a since of what was going on, and when there was something worth seeing Sakura's mind will be ripped away to that clone and she will see what it sees. All the while Sakura can still see and manage what she is doing in her body.

Sakura can manage seeing through around ten clones before shit gets complicated and it gets complicated quick because if a clone gets into a fight it will alert Sakura and she will be ripped away to see what was going on. Most of the time Sakura will leave the clone to fight on its own, they can hold up their own well. One clone found that the reapers had collected all off the villagers and was holding them hostage. Where were the shinobi? The leaf village was quiet and to emptiness put Sakura's nerves on edge. Sakura guessed the reapers were holding the leaf shinobi somewhere. Sakura sent half her clones and herself to aid the villagers first, once she got them in the tunnels below, she could focus on the people she would be murdering today.

The clones attacked slamming down like a hellish storm. They took down the reapers that were guarding the villagers quickly, this pleased Sakura. Sakura tilted her head seeing the villagers were all tied together by a large thick blue rope, it was shiny due to sucking the villager's chakra out of them. She didn't have time to try and figure this out, besides keeping them together may not be the worst idea. If she set them free and they all took off running around like lost chickens it would make them easier targets and make Sakura's job even harder.

Sakura did the next best thing to getting these people below to the tunnels, she sent two of her clones to stand around them. A white dome covered the people as her clones were the pillars. Sakura nodded, seeing the clones were eyes fading to white, if something or someone was to come near them their eyes will turn green due to being activated, this was Sakura's way of preserving her chakra.

Now that these innocent people were safer, Sakura turned on her heel and ran through the leaf village in search for the shinobi. She skidded to a stop seeing a group of reapers turn around spotting her.

"Re-Reaper."

"Miss me?" Sakura smiled as her grip on her blade tightened thinking of Hinata, how her life had been cut short by a blade. Sakura ducked a sword as she brought hers up slamming it into the stomach of a nearby man. She used his body to block in coming shuriken, she needed to express some rage. She sliced the group of seven down with ease but was already feeling winded. She never got to rest from using so much chakra returning from the waterfalls training grounds. She could feel the sweat already coat her body as she moved forward killing anything that ran near her.

There were a lot of bodies on the ground, the leaf village responded very well to the reapers invasion. Sakura once again stopped running as her heart hurt seeing a familiar face laying on the ground in defeat, the kunai that killed him still lingered in his stomach.

"Oh Lee..." Sakura shook her head, she looked over seeing more leaf shinobi, but she honestly didn't care about them. Where was Kakashi? Where was Naruto and Tenten? Sakura believed Karui was still inside this village when the reapers hit, was she even alive still?

One clone arrived at the arena, she ducked from sight but peeked up from the stands trying to see what was going on, her eyes burned the air around them as Sakura gazed through them. Of course, they would all be inside the fucking arena!

Tsunade spat in a man's face, her body was wrapped in that same rope, maybe Sakura should have figured it out. A man Sakura didn't know sneered at Tsunade's slapping her across the face. Sakura was about to try and create more clones to aid the shinobi who were all thrown together getting their chakra sucked out of them. Sakura wanted to make more clones but couldn't, she was nearing her limit. She shook her head annoyed, she needed to get to the arena, but masked reapers kept getting in the way.

Granted Sakura was still a few miles away from the arena, her clones were able to reach there before her. They jumped over the large wall without a care in the world as they rained down onto the area. 

"What the hell!?" Reapers called seeing the pink hair, the clones pushed the Reapers away from the leaf shinobi, quickly collecting around them and created a dome like she had done for the leaf shinobi. Inside the crowd Sakura spotted Kakashi's hair, she relaxed knowing he was alive, her clone could hear Naruto spouting off insults.

"What the hell?" The man who had slapped Tsunade took in the five clones that stood around the leaf shinobi.

"It's the Reaper!"

"Sakura!?" Naruto called out to them but frowned, seeing the white eyes.

"How is the Reaper here!?" The unknown man shouted.

"We don't think she is." A side Reaper muttered, "So far all we can tell is those things are just clones."

"We attacked four of her primary villages!" The unknown man yelled, "This village isn't under her protection. This should be the last place she should be sending fucking clones!" He pulled a kunai feeling extremely annoyed, whipping it towards the leaf shinobi's direction. Ino screamed seeing it was heading straight for her, the clone side stepped blocking its path. The kunai lodged deep into the clone's stomach, but something that made the reapers feel unsettled was the fact the clone did not vanish nor did it bleed, it just remained in its place looking at the man with green eyes. Normally Sakura would send the clone to attack the threat but since she couldn't produce anymore, she couldn't run the risk of killing off her clone.

"We cannot touch these things?" The unknown man growled.

"They don't seem to vanish when hit." A reaper sighed, "Now they are surrounding what villagers we could find and we can't get passed them."

"Why not!?"

"A dozen of us already got killed by those things." The secondary reaper informed. Tsunade sighed, hearing her villagers were safe. Kakashi glanced at the clones, he couldn't tell if she was here or just sent these to help the leaf ninja.

"Everything has a weakness-!" The unknown man screamed, "-find it and get rid of these things!"

"If these things have one, I don't know how to find it, and I don't know how much time we have before the Reaper shows up."

"If she isn't here then she isn't coming." The man was so sure of himself. Naruto looked around at all the clones, he noticed one whose eyes were different, it crouched towards the ground facing the Reapers. 

"Sakura?" He whispered hope invading his heart, catching Kakashi and Sasuke's attention as they all looked over at the clone, noticing its eyes. The clone looked over and winked at them with a smirk.

"Ugh!" The leader yelling running over to the clone who Sakura was looking through. He run a sword through her stomach. "I will not let this plan fail!"

"Sakura!" Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke screamed feeling fear froze their hearts. The clone looked over as the leader pulled out his sword from her stomach, but no blood poured from the wound. The leader looked at the clone confused, what exactly were these things? The clone smirked and stood from its crouching position. It walked forward raising its copied blade and attacked the man.

"What the fuck are these things!?" The leader screamed as he dodged it's attempts to kill him.

"They are the ultimate weapon." Everyone looked as bloody Sakura walked towards them, it coated her clothing and the ends of her hair. The clone moved back to her spot against the leaf shinobi.

"Well, Well." The man said with a twisted smile. "The Reaper of Reapers, born in the blood of the damned finally makes an appearance." He sneered in Sakura's direction.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was busy killing your army." She smirked, her sword in her hand. Naruto watched as blood slid down the blade. He looked at Sakura, his mouth wide open as he watched a Reaper run up from behind and stab Sakura in the back and his blade went through as it poked out of the front of her shirt.

"NO!" The leaf shinobi screamed, the clone of Sakura turned around, the blade sliding her torso as she did, the clone was now to damage to go on, so it exploded as a result.

"What?!" A few Reapers gasped seeing it was just another clone.

"I must say attacking four villages to split up my team was smart. A fairly good plan-" Another clone spoke up standing from guarding the leaf shinobi, but the man moved forward with purpose in each step. Sakura kept her clone still as she allowed the man to slice off the clones head, exploding as a result. The man grunted out getting annoyed wanting to know if the real reaper was lurking around! "But truth be told-" Another clone from the blockade around the leaf village ninja stood, "-if you had waited just one more second, I would have already been gone responding to another village, and your plan might have worked." The clone smiled.

"Come out and fight!" The leader yelled at the clone.

"Oh, we will get to that." Sakura's clone said. "By the way, who the fuck are you?"

"I am Rubeus!" He yelled proudly, "Third in command of the reapers!"

"Oh yeah, I killed Joe, so I guess Jadeite or Malachite or whoever the hell is in charge now had to fill his place with someone. So, they found you." The clone mocked trying to pull the reapers attention onto her so the other clones could figure out how to break the rope around Kakashi and the others.

Sakura looked around, watching the flow of chakra run into a reaper. She had long blonde hair pulled together in a lose hair tie. She wore the reapers uniform; she was standing in the back behind a few reapers. Were they her guards? Sakura didn't care, she couldn't figure out how to break the ropes, so she was going to plan B, kill the person creating them. Reapers and leaf shinobi all gasped together watching more clones of Sakura dropped from the sky aiming for the blonde girl.

"Beryl!" Rubeus yelled out, "Cover her! Take down the clones-"

"Oh-" Sakura smirked, "-your boss is going to be pissed off when they find out you failed here today."

"Don't get overly cocky on me Reaper."

"Oh, I'm cocky as fuck, I can't help that shit-" A clone said walking in front of the leaf village ninja. Blood coated her clothing, her hair was tossing in the wind, her eyes were bright and glowing. Clones were still trying to take down Beryl, the controller of the chakra ropes. "-but then again there hasn't been anyone to knock me down off my pedestal."

"I'm not interested in talking to a clone!" The leader yelling throwing a kunai at her. The clone grabbed the kunai with ease and tightened her glare on the man. 

"I'm no clone." Sakura said, finally getting to the arena. She had to fight her way through the reapers who infested the leaf village, she threw the kunai at him. "The Reaper of Reapers, born in the blood of the damned is standing right here in front of you." She glared, anger flowed through her thinking of Hinata and the others she stumbled upon. Rubeus turned and looked at Sakura.

"Really now? How about we test that-" The third in command of the reapers was cut off by a girl screaming out in pain. Sakura's clones had gotten through the reapers guarding the girl controlling the ropes and had did their job.

"Beryl!?" Rubeus breathed Sakura watched through his eyes as his heart crushed into a hundred little pieces. She shook her head at him.

"I am a little surprised you were picked to be their third." Sakura watched as Rubeus stared at the dead girl laying in the grass and the ropes fell from the leaf shinobi freeing them.

"How dare you." He turned to Sakura.

"How dare I?" Sakura laughed, "How many people have you killed today?"

"Not nearly as many as you!"

"Your probably right." Sakura nodded, "So was it your girlfriend or sister I just killed?" Sakura smiled, giving the leaf shinobi time to collect themselves.

"I am going to kill you." Rubeus spat.

"That's what they all say." Sakura grinned as Rubeus ran towards her. "How much do you want to bet I am the one who walks away from this?"

"I will be the one who kills you!" Rubeus drew his sword.

"Do you need an invitation?" Sakura called in the leaf shinobi's direction, Sakura believed she took most of the members of the reapers down, hopefully Carver and Raiden's training with Naruto and the others will have paid off and they can pull their own weight in this fight for the leaf village. 

\----

The fight felt long but only lasted a handful of grueling hours, Sakura panted looking around the field of dead bodies. Sakura scanned around seeing leaf shinobi doing the same, was it finally over? Could she eat and go to bed? Sakura ran a hand through her hair as she spun around. She could hear Naruto but where had Kakashi gone? He and her stood back to back for most of the fight, at some point she got flipped away from him.

"Be careful." Sakura called, "They could be playing dead or still lurking around, these people are slick fuckers." Tsunade nodded and Sakura vanished, she could feel Kakashi's chakra, it was mixed with someone else's though. Sakura ran through a forest; she came into a clearing. Sakura gasped, having not expected to see this.

Kakashi was in a fight, which explained why his chakra was mixed with someone else's, he stood against the fourth commander of the reapers known as Tellu. Pretty girl, bright green hair and matching eyes. Sakura moved forward, swinging her sword taking her head clean off her shoulders without so much as questioning it.

Sakura turned, catching Kakashi's hand as he fell backwards. Sakura only had that easy and quick clean kill because Kakashi had given her the moment, since Tellu's deer hook sword which she was so fond of was inside Kakashi's torso it gave Sakura the opening she needed to eliminate her.

"Kakashi!" Sakura gasped as she was unable to stop his heavy body was hitting the forest floor. She dropped to her knees beside him, she unzipped his flak jacket and placed her hands over the deep gash in his stomach pouring out his blood.

"Sa-Sakura..." Kakashi breathed, Sakura tried to push her chakra into him but it was no good, he still had the damn poison in his system from when he and team seven was ambushed in the haze village. Kakashi smiled seeing Sakura's face.

((Play me -- Westlife - I'll see you again))

Sakura shook her head refusing to believe what was happening in front of her. After the longest second in her life Sakura noticed that his wounds were not healing. His blood pooled out of his body, blood covered him and Sakura. His blood was soaked her hands and legs. Sakura's voice was caught in her throat as she looked at Kakashi. She wiped her hands off on her pants.

"Kakashi." She stated, "Stay with me-" She said seeing his eye slowly closing. "-you are going to be fine!" Sakura yelled trying to stir him awake as she pointlessly pushed more chakra into his body.

"Sak-Sakura-" Kakashi choked on his blood, it spray from his lips soaking his mask, "Stop-" He breathed knowing she was using up all her chakra, she couldn't last much longer if she kept this up.

"No." She shook her head applying pressure to his stomach causing him pain.

"Sakura." He gasped out from the uncomfortable pressure.

"You are going to be fine Kakashi!" Sakura cut him off,

"Sakura..." Kakashi felt tears prick his eyes, he knew he didn't have long. He placed his gloved hand on her cheek and moved her face to look into his eyes and not the hole on his stomach, he didn't want her to watch him water the grass with his blood. Kakashi pulled something out of his vest pocket. Kakashi's blood soaked the little black box, but he opened it anyway and Sakura gasped tears filled her eyes. "Sakura, will you-you marry me-me?" Kakashi breathed out.

"Yes." Sakura said as tears fell from her glowing eyes. "Yes Kakashi!" Kakashi slid the blood coated ring out of the box and onto her ring finger stained in his blood.

"Sakura, I love you." Kakashi said as Sakura pulled his mask down and kissed him. As she leaned forward her hair fell all around them, creating a curtain of pink silk, as much as she wanted her hair couldn't shield them from the cold world or the slicing reality of what was happening. Kakashi ran this thumb over her eye wiping the tear, he never seen her cry before and instantly hated it. What he hated more is he wouldn't be around to continue to dry her eyes.

Kakashi slid his wet fingers along the strands of her pink hair, he always loved the feeling of her silky hair between his fingers it brought him such peace of mind. Sakura's long hair dipped into his blood that had pooled around him, staining the tips of her hair dark red. Kakashi smiled at Sakura, he caressed her cheek with his hand.

"I never-" He breathed, "-want you to stop smiling." He smiled at her.

"Kakashi." Sakura shook her head as her fought back the tears but failed as they dripped into the world. Sakura could hear footsteps; she shook her head as she moved his mask up his face knowing he couldn't.

"Kakashi! Sakura!" Naruto called finally finding them. Naruto smiled walking into the clearing, but his smile quickly evaporated as he took in what was unfolding in front of him. Tears were falling from her eyes as she looked up at Naruto, her wide orbs were begging the blond shinobi to do something, to do anything, to pull a miracle from the freaking sky! "Kakashi?" Naruto breathed reaching Kakashi, he kneeled across from Sakura. Kakashi turned his head looking at his famed student,

"Protect her." Kakashi smiled through his wet mask, then turned to look at back at Sakura. Her beautiful eyes were the last thing he wanted to see before he was pulled from this life. He loved this woman, he wanted to marry her. He went to four stores looking for the perfect ring for her. He wanted to build a life with her, settle down make a home and a family and he knew he wasn't going to be able to give that to her now...but looking at those large tear-filled emerald eyes, Kakashi was so thankful he had the chance to love this woman and to have her love him back. He breathed out as a cold grasp wrapped around him. Sakura shook her head no as she placed her hand over his. Kakashi was so thankful he was able to love her until his last breath, a tear fell from his eye seeing the pain in her face and after a still moment his hand fell from Sakura's face. Sakura shook her head catching his hand with both of hers.

"Kakashi?" Naruto asked reaching out and touching his shoulder. Sakura's chest quickly inhaled and exhaled as tears seemed to pour from her eyes. She shook her head again, it felt like she was involuntary going to cry out, but her voice got caught in her throat. She bit her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut feeling a crushing pain exploded inside her chest washing over her like an ice bath. 

Kakashi was dead.

She felt the ring on her hand as she gasped for air but couldn't breathe. She stared at Kakashi's masked face, she felt panic enter her body as she looked into his eyes and saw death glazing them. The logical part of her brain knew Kakashi had died but nothing about this was logical to her. Why would something like her be allowed to live in this world and a man like Kakashi die?

She could feel the cold touch of death reaching into her soul and shattering everything around her.

"No-" Naruto cried shaking his head. "No, sensei no!" He cried harder, Tsunade walked beside Guy searching for Naruto who wandered off in this direction. Tsunade smiled for a moment, seeing she had finally found Sakura and Naruto who was in trouble, trying to skip out on cleaning up all this mess! Tsunade gasped and Guy stopped walking.

"Kakashi?" Guy called, he waited for Kakashi to move his head and explain he just overused his sharingan. Guy ran forward seeing Kakashi was unmoving, Tsunade covered her mouth seeing Kakashi Hatake had fallen. The blonde turned to Sakura who was painted in his blood, she no doubt did everything she could do to save his life but failed. Guy kneeled down beside her. "Can I please take him?" Guy asked but Sakura remained still tears filling her eyes and then falling when they became too big for them to hold.

"Go ahead Guy." Tsunade answered, touching Sakura's shoulder trying to pull her from her shocked state. "Naruto." Tsunade called out his name, he took in a deep breath and nodded moving so Guy could take his place and lift Kakashi.

"Protect her." Kakashi's words floated through Naruto's head, he looked over as Sakura's face held for once everything she was feeling, he tilted his head she looked like she was breathing! Naruto quickly rushed to her wrapping an arm around her and as he did, she gasped out pulling air into her lungs. Naruto wasn't used to Sakura needing the shoulder to cry on, he really wished Carver or Raiden were here...they might know what to do in this situation.

"Come on Naruto, let's get her to the hospital." Tsunade's voice was soft as Guy was waiting with Kakashi for Sakura to follow. "She is in shock, just make sure she keeps breathing ok?"

"O-Ok." Naruto said pulling Sakura to stand with him. Naruto wanted to be strong, be the person Sakura needed him to be but the other part of him wanted to burst into tears, he wasn't ready to lose his sensei. There was still so much Naruto still needed to learn from him and next to Iruka, Kakashi was the closest thing to a father Naruto had.

Sakura was oblivious to everything around her; she didn't even notice when her legs gave out. Her body no longer able to continue from the severe lack of chakra inside it. Naruto picked her up, lifting her off her feet as he cradled his best friend to his chest as her eyes slammed shut on their own account.

"Sakura!" Naruto and Tsunade became alarmed,

"We need to-" Tsunade stopped watching people turn their attention to them, the shocked faces that Kakashi Hatake, the best of his generation had been struck down, it was always believed through the village that he would be the next hokage, Kakashi's death was going to rattle the foundation of the leaf village.

"Hinata?" Naruto whispered, seeing her be lifted onto a stretcher. Sasuke turned hearing Naruto's voice.

"Sakura?" The raven-haired man asked, "What happened?" Sasuke looked past Sakura and saw Kakashi. "What happened!?" He repeated at Naruto.

"Hinata?" Naruto breathed ignoring Sasuke.

"Naruto." He said as he tried to block the sight of Hinata's body, but Naruto stepped around him. He saw Hinata's dead eyes, he saw her throat which was slashed out and her blood painted the front of her shirt.

"HINATA!" Naruto yelled but Sasuke held him back. "HINATA! NO!" Naruto felt what Sakura did, he fell to his knees. Sasuke caught Sakura from hitting the pavement.

"Shikamaru!" Tsunade called, "Get Naruto to the hospital!"

"Yes ma'am." Shikamaru said as he and Kiba went to picking up Naruto who fought to get to Hinata's side. Sasuke lifted Sakura,

"Come on." Tsunade said to Sasuke who nodded, following the hokage without question. Guy followed as well, looking down at Kakashi's masked face as he fought back his tears.

\----

Tsunade sat beside Sakura's side as she laid in the hospital bed, it had been a full day since the attack of the leaf and three other villages. Carver and Raiden were blowing up people's phone, trying to figure out why no one could reach Sakura and why she never showed up at the sand village.

Tsunade had to tell them what had happened, she had to explain to them that Kakashi had been killed and Sakura used to much chakra she was passed out. They were on their own until Sakura was able to transport them here which could be a couple days. Tsuande kept looking at the ring on Sakura's left hand, she prayed she didn't think what she thought it meant.

As Tsunade looked at her phone Sakura opened her eyes. For a peaceful moment, she simply stared at the ceiling as everything remained still. That is until her brain shoved reality into her face, it reminded her she no longer lived in a world where Kakashi was alive, that would only be inside her mind which was in shambles.

"Sakura?" Tsuande stood, "How-How are you feeling?"

"How long was I out?" She breathed as her eyes felt puffy and sore.

"About a day." Tsunade answered, Sakura nodded at the response.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like my fiancé was murdered." Sakura sat up, Tsunade gasped.

"He-"

"He proposed." Sakura breathed looking at the ring,

"I..." Tsunade didn't know how to react. Inside Sakura's brain there were different fighting matches. One piece wanted to be numb, the other wanted to shatter, another piece wanted to die. Sakura had been ready for years to die but this was had just shoved her off the cliff giving her permission to be reckless and stupid. "I didn't know you two were..."

"He proposed to me, and then he died." Sakura said turning to look at Tsuande as she did so Sakura fought back the new unwilling flood of tears. Tsuande was stunned seeing a tear fall down her cheek. Sakura had always been so strong and such a force but right now she looked...human.

"I'm so sorry!" Tsunade breathed, standing up quickly engulfing Sakura in a tight hug. Pieces of Sakura were still in shock, it coated her nerves. "But I have to ask you-" Tsunade pulled away, "-I can do it of course, but do you want to plan his funeral?"

"His..."

"He has no other family; I know you two were...I can do it-"

"No." Sakura said his face was burnt into her frontal lobe. "I will do it." Sakura looked back at the ring Kakashi proposed to her with, she finally noticed it along with her had been cleaned. Her last kiss with him was full of iron and saturated with the taste of his blood. Sakura turned to look out the window, being coated in it was the last time she would ever feel warmth from him again. These thoughts racking around inside her head stabbed her heart.

"Are you sure?"

"No."

"I can help you." Tsunade offered, "If you want..."

"Thank you, Tsunade." Sakura breathed.

Four days had passed, and many funerals were held during this short time. Sakura stood in front of Kakashi's lifeless body feeling blank, feeling numb as his casket was lowered six feet away from her. Sakura hasn't eaten or slept since Kakashi died, she didn't want to the desire was gone, all her drive vanished once Kakashi's heart took its last beat. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pray that this was all a dream, but it wasn't and she was knew painfully aware of that when she went to his place and tried to sleep in his cold bed all alone.

Hinata's funeral was hours ago, it was discovered that TenTen was also killed in the battle. TenTen's funeral was yesterday and so was Lee's. Sakura looked up at the cloudy sky, this village brought her to life, it sparked so much desire and color; Kakashi brought so much color and joy to her life, but now she couldn't stand being inside these walls.

She wanted to go back to seeing in black and white, when she kept everyone at arm's length the loss of a comrade didn't hurt this badly. Sakura remembered now why she kept her distance. She desperately wanted to feel nothing, she wanted...needed to be numb again. After Kakashi was buried Sakura remained in her chair watching the pile of dirt. Half of her still praying that Kakashi was going to crawl out and smile at her. She looked down at the beautiful ring on her hand. She loved it so much, but she was never going to get the chance to tell Kakashi just how much she loved it. She was never going to get to tell Hinata or show TenTen. A tear slid down her cheek as the pain crushed down on her. Naruto stood beside her, he looked at it.

"It is beautiful." Naruto said. Sakura nodded, finding no words as her throat swelled shut. Sakura pulled out a dark yellow folder, she handed it to Naruto who looked at her confused for a moment.

"It's for Carver and Raiden, they are on their way here. I don't have the chakra to bring them back through my seal." Sakura said looking down at her ring again. "It just says that Raiden and Carver are assigned here permanently." She said looking at Naruto. "Whether or not they chose to wear the leaf's headband is up to them."

"What about you?" Naruto asked.

"I am leaving in the morning." Sakura said, "Tsunade knows, she approved Raiden and Carver to be a part of the village. Your team is short two men now, I am hoping that you will take them in." Sakura said as she struggled to hide the pain in her eyes. "Team seven is where those two belong, its where they need to be...it is where I need them to be..."

"Yeah." Naruto said with a nod. "Don't worry, I got them."

"Thank you."

"I wish you would stay..." Naruto whispered.

"I can't." Sakura shook her head, turning to look at Naruto.

"Where are you going to go?" Naruto asked.

"I am going back to hunting down the Reapers." She said, "I am going to tear them apart and kill every single one of them." Sakura vowed to herself, she looked at her ring and after a moment she spoke up again "Maybe if I hadn't stopped looking for them, if I didn't stay here for so long maybe I would have already taken them down and Kakashi would still be-" Sakura cut herself off, choking on tears and her voice.

"No." Naruto said, placing his hand on Sakura's. "This is not your fault Sakura. We are so happy that you came here. You gave us your strength; you are the only reason that we survived this attack. Don't ever think that it was a mistake to come here, because it is not." Naruto said. "Kakashi, Hinata, TenTen, Lee and everyone else would say it was not a mistake. They loved you, I love you, Tsunade and the rest of this village loves you."

"I know." Sakura said looking at Kakashi's name on the stone.

"I know you are not going to let me come with you. I only ask that you be safe, for me...I cannot handle another person dying right now."

"I know." Sakura said with a nod, "You do the same because I cannot handle you dying either." Sakura gave Naruto a weak smile and stood, they hugged for a long time that day, they both were mourning fallen lovers and friends. Their worlds where shaken, everything the two of them built their life's on had all shattered in front of them and neither of them knew how or where to start rebuilding their life's. Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to move on or rebuild...she knew she missed Kakashi and wanted to be with him again.

As Sakura pulled away, and claimed she wanted to be alone, Naruto didn't know that was the last time he would see Sakura for a couple months. Sakura went to Kakashi's apartment, she walked around remembering all the times she shared with him between those walls. She had seven years shoved in between those memories and now, Kakashi's unmasked face was faded and hard for her to find. She felt empty and scared as she looked around his bedroom. She felt cold and she felt like someone had ripped a piece of her away.

Sakura laid in his bed, but it felt like a stranger's, not the one she made love in with Kakashi. She got up and moved to the couch but the warmth and safety she felt in this place died when Kakashi did. Sakura packed her things and left that night.

She couldn't be in that apartment anymore; she couldn't move around in this village without seeing the ghosts of the people who just fell around every corner. Their memories were stained within the walls of the leaf village and nothing was going to tear the nails out that held Sakura to this place. She knew that, but why would she stay here feeling haunted by his memory when she could return to her village, she would still feel the coldness of the world but at least the waterfall village doesn't have Kakashi painted around every corner.


	31. Chapter 31

Two hundred and forty three days...

Eight painful months fused together feeling like just hours since the reapers had invaded the leaf village, it was another day where people lost their life's but it was also the day Sakura's life was shattered as she was left inside the familiar shadow of death.

Sakura sat behind her desk; a whiskey tumbler rested in her right hand as her forehead leaned on her on the back of her dominant hand. A headache pounded against her skull as her eyes remained closed, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Sakura reached her arms over her head stretching her muscles. The cool air blew across her skin as she breathed out with her heart pounding from her workout. Sakura reached down picking up her water bottle, she turned her head seeing a few men quickly advert their eyes. Kakashi moved towards Sakura in a fluid motion, his hands in his pockets as he reached her side. Sakura looked up her face twisted looking lightly agitated as she took in Kakashi's closed eye expression.

"Did any of these men give you trouble?" Kakashi questioned looking down at Sakura's outfit choice.

"No-" Sakura rolled her eyes feeling the dark aura radiating off him as he glanced back to the group of men who quickly scattered, "-you marked your territory so hard they are too scared to come near me."

"Fantastic." Kakashi remarked turning to look at Sakura's knee length leggings and sports bra. "We need to have a conversation about your clothing."

"My clothing?" The pinkette muttered to herself confused.

Sakura shook her head opening her eyes as she did so, it was so still inside her house she could hear every rain drop that beat down on the roof. Neat piles of folders and assorted unfinished papers littered her desk as well as her laptop.

"Come on." Kakashi repeated for the twelfth time, he leaned against the door staring at her.

"I'm almost done." Sakura replied sounding annoyed at being rushed.

"You have been here all day." Kakashi reminded,

"Yes." Sakura acknowledged Kakashi's use of telling time.

"You need a break to eat and get some rest-"

"I am fine Kakashi, if you want to go ahead I will-"

"I'm not leaving here without you." Kakashi crossed his arms over his firm chest. Sakura groaned turning back around to her laptop. Kakashi knew if he did then she would get caught in one thing after another and before she knew it morning had arrived, and she would have gotten no rest. "This will be here in the morning for you."

"Kakashi-" Sakura turned having enough of him telling her how to do her job. "-go home and I will be there later."

"No." Kakashi stated, kicking himself off the wall as he closed the space between them. "You're coming home with me."

"Who the fuck-"

"I say so." Kakashi cut in.

"I'm not going anywhere until this is done."

"Do it in the morning."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, your coming home."

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"Are you going to fucking force me?"

"If I have too."

"Fucking make me then-" Kakashi's hand covered Sakura's mouth muffling her words.

"Trust me darling, that is a sentence you don't want to finish." Kakashi warned, she pulled her head back out of Kakashi's grasp with hard eyes.

"Why is-" Kakashi leaned to whisper in her ear,

"Because then I will throw you on this conference table and show you." Kakashi's voice sent shivers through her body as his hands gripped both her arm rests.

Sakura shook her head tipping the drink back as she slammed the remaining scotch that rested inside her glass. Her body felt numb as she lifted herself from the chair leaving her study as if she could escape the unwanted memories that was flooding her head. Lost in thought and a blur to the world Sakura didn't notice the boxes that littered the floor, she tripped over one.

"Son of a-" She muttered catching herself, she sighed feeling her tight muscles as she looked around her living room at the stacks of creamed colored boxes. Sakura ran her fingers over the top of the nearby cardboard box, she opened it pulling out a used make out paradise book. She sat on the floor next to it and opened the book to page one.

After Sakura took over planning out Kakashi's funeral, and when it got through the village that he and her had been engaged she was then deemed his next of kin. She was cut a check by a man in a suit, Kakashi was an outstanding shinobi who took on a lot of A-rank missions, he was probably one of the wealthiest shinobi in the leaf village. Sakura didn't want the money; she didn't need it what she wanted was him. That same man in the monkey suit told her she had to deal with his affairs such as his apartment.

Sakura licked her lips recalling the pain that almost had her on her knees when she walked into his apartment after three months of being declared fallen in battle. Tsunade had stepped up and helped Sakura pack up his apartment in the middle of the night, Sakura didn't want to see Raiden or Carver; she didn't want to hear their pity or listen to their sympathy. The pink haired shinobi didn't know what to do with his belongings, Kakashi was a kind man who would have probably of liked to known his worldly materials were donated to people who needed them but that isn't what Sakura did. She packed his apartment up in boxes and moved them to her house. Sakura's reasoning for this was because she was busy and didn't have the time to go through what should be kept and what could be given away.

Sakura sighed as she placed the book beside her on the floor as she leaned against the wall. The truth was she couldn't get rid of his things because to her he didn't feel dead, the concept that he was truly gone still couldn't register inside her head for some reason as she played mindlessly with the ring on her hand.

After two hours of drifting between memories Sakura poured herself another drink of Kakashi's favorite scotch and began to move all the boxes into the empty room where his bed had been migrated. After stacking the boxes, she crawled between his sheets wearing one of his shirts as she went back to reading the famed book he loved so much.

Sakura growled pulling the sheets off her body and getting up from the empty bed, it was looking like another night of no sleep for her as she moved into her exercise room pulling up the sleeves of his large shirt. Sakura jumped onto a treadmill and began running trying to blow off steam and clear her head, then maybe she could get a few hours of sleep.

The heaviness inside her chest clinched as she turned the machine off her heart pounding, heat collected around her skin as she clenched her eyes shut tightly, her hands gripping her skull as tears pressed against the back of her eyes. Her blood boiled at the thoughts scraping the side of her head she wanted to see him again, she desperately needed to feel his hands on her soft skin even if it was just one last time. She opened her glossy eyes wishing to see his unmasked face, but she had no pictures and a foggy memory of him due to being inside the waterfalls training ground. 

Sakura moved to exit the room.

She shook her head; how could she have been so naïve? How could she have allowed herself to get so close to him? How could she have fallen and gotten so attached to a man like Kakashi? Where did all those years of training go to stop this from occurring?!

Sakura slammed her hand into the wall, it crumbled into pieces as her eyes glowed from the anger filling her body. The rage ignited the blood pumping through her veins mixing into what felt like lava burning her, she felt the need to set the world on fire and bathe in the ashes.

All the sweet words he whispered to her in the middle of the night as they laid together echoed her head as she gripped her skull willing his memory to leave her be! He died, Kakashi was dead why couldn't the imprint of his presence he left with her go with him!?

Sakura cried out, tears spilling over her eyes against her will as her legs gave out, she fell to her knees as she held her chest feeling the sharp blade death leaves behind on the living. Sakura felt like a rug had been pulled out from under her feet, she was felt confused and her mind spinning. She shook her head as the realization of Kakashi's death circled around her. How could Kakashi go and get himself killed and leave her all alone?

She was just starting to get use to him, she was getting use to crawling into his bed late at night after a long day and sleeping in his strong arms. Sakura was just getting use to the feel of him in her life and the safety he made her feel. She was getting used to being loved by him...through all her years on a battlefield, all the scars she endured through, none of that compared to this pain that engulfed her being and Kakashi wasn't here to get her through this agony.

The front door opens opening Sakura's eyes as she pulled herself to her feet, her hand twitched praying it was another soldier who had come to try and collect her job. She had a lot of rage racking up inside her and she would love nothing more than to express it.

"Sakura." Kaguya smiled, Sakura's face showed she unpleased to see it was only her.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura questioned.

"I was informed that the reports for the new incoming soldiers had not been finished, you were supposed to do that yesterday."

"I have been busy."

"Doing what?"

"None of your fucking business. I have an idea, why don't you do something for fucking once and do the fucking paperwork yourself." Sakura snapped, Kaguya nodded her head knowing Sakura has had a short fuse the past few months but didn't understand why.

"I spoke with Tsunade of the Leaf."

"You did something for once?" Sakura laughed, "Fucking shocker."

"You have been...snappy since you returned from defending the Leaf Village from the Reapers."

"What the fuck is your point?"

"Tsunade told me Sakura...about Kakashi Hatake." Kaguya examined Sakura's body language as she noticed her muscles tense at the sound of his name. Kaguya felt herself nod, finding the root of Sakura's anger. "I had no idea you were in a relationship."

"My love life is none of your fucking business, so tell me why you are here or get the fuck out." Sakura spat out.

"It's going to be ok." Kauya nodded.

"What?" Sakura shook her head confused.

"I'm here to take the pain away."

"What?" Sakura repeated not understanding, she snapped her head down feeling a circle of chakra being drawn around her. "What is this?" Sakura sneered in Kaguya's direction.

"I am going to take the pain away." Kaguya repeated with a motherly smile, Sakura didn't understand until the circle glowed, and a pressure pushed its way inside Sakura's head. Sakura quickly held her head as she cried out falling to the ground. "It's all going to be ok." Kaguya repeated as she gazed down into Sakura's anger coated eyes.


	32. Chapter 32

"Come on! Get the hell up!" Carver yelled as he banged on Naruto's front door. "We are going to be late!" The door slowly opened a half-asleep Naruto peeked out to see his two new teammates. Raiden pushed the door open and walked into his apartment, Carver and Raiden saw Naruto was barely put together for the day. 

"Well..." Raiden said running the back of his neck. "...he is dressed."

"He looks like an extra from the walking dead." Carver muttered.

"Better than nothing." Raiden smiled.

"True." Carver agreed nodding, "Alright come on." He said grabbing Naruto's arm.

"Where are we going?" Naruto yawned as Carver locked Naruto's door for him.

"We don't know yet." Carver sighed and Sasuke came out of his apartment hearing voices.

"What?" Raiden asked seeing Sasuke's face, "Why do you look so surprised?"

"You actually got him up before noon." Sasuke looked at his watch.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Raiden muttered with a playful glare.

"I gave up years ago." Sasuke shook his head, Naruto yawned again as he was dragged to Tsunade's office. He closed his eyes, trying to shield them from the bright sun once they pulled him from the building.

"Raiden sleeps likes a lot like Naruto does." Carver muttered, "They sleep like a bunch of rocks."

"Naruto is a rock." Sasuke muttered to himself and then waited to hear Naruto's loud voice defend himself, but when he didn't Sasuke turned. Carver pulled his lips together seeing the depressed look on Naruto's face. Hinata had been killed nine months ago and Naruto was still acting like it was just last week.

Raiden looked away from Naruto and focused on dragging his newly formed team towards the Hokage tower for their first mission out together. Carver and Raiden had finally become Leaf shinobi. It took some adjusting to having rules that needed to be followed and it was different having a hokage to listen to. Carver and Raiden were so use to Sakura being their one and only boss. Raiden frowned at the thought of her name, he hadn't seen her since Kakashi's funeral. She doesn't call or answer her phone. 

This part Raiden was used to, but he knew this was her way as well as Carver and Raiden's way of dealing with death and he wasn't so sure it was healthy. When a person would die that they were close too, they would instead of taking the time to feel those emotions and learn how to make room in their lives for that numbing pain they pushed those feeling into a bottle and threw the bottle in the farthest parts of their mind and worked none stop in order to avoid it. Raiden knew if he bugged her and made her feel guilty about staying put inside this village or even her own, she would go mad. Sakura was doing what she needed to do even though it was self-destructive.

Carver understood losing Kakashi damaged Sakura in ways even she didn't understand, she needed her time and space to learn how to deal with it. Carver and Raiden would fight about this almost all the time when they were alone. Raiden wanted to go find Sakura while Carver said they should just leave her be. But now that they had a hokage and belonged to a village they couldn't just take off like they were used to doing. The two went to Tsunade for advice on how to deal with this situation.

She explained that Sakura; how badly as Tsunade wanted to send team seven after her, she couldn't. Sakura was the commander of another village and even if Tsunade did send team seven out, they had no idea where Sakura was or if she would even be inside her village. She wasn't answering the hundred phone calls they sent her or replying to text messaging, it was simply too risky to send a team out. It sucked but that was how things were.

"Good morning." The new team seven turned around hearing a voice, they watched Ino walking out of their apartment building.

"Good morning." Raiden muttered, Carver and Sasuke ignored the blonde woman, Naruto was too lost in his thoughts to realize they were standing inside a conversation and the polite thing to do would be to reply.

"Morning Sasuke." Ino smiled as she walked past the group of men on her way to her parent's flower shop for her shift. After Kakashi died his apartment was cleared out quickly, team seven didn't know it was by Sakura and placed back up for rent. Ino jumped on the opportunity to be closer to Sasuke faster than anyone could breathe. Ino against her parent's advice moved in three days after the apartment was put up.

It was hard for Naruto and even Raiden and Carver to see someone else living inside what was Kakashi's home, and of course of all the people inside the entire leaf village it had to be freaking Ino Yamanaka.

Carver half assed an excuse to leave Ino standing in their dust as he dragged Naruto away, moving towards the Hokage Tower. Team seven moved quickly into Tsunade's office just barely making it in time. Naruto's head tuned out as Tsunade explained their mission thinking about Hinata and her pretty face. He missed her...he missed her smile, her eyes, the cute way she blushed when Naruto complimented her, it felt like years since he had seen her. He missed talking to her on the phone until she fell asleep.

"Naruto-" Tsunade called snapping Naruto's head up, "-get going, the princess is waiting for you at the gates of the village." Naruto simply nodded as he followed his teammates without question. Their mission wasn't anything spectacular, a high-class daughter of a high-priced rich guy wanted his daughter escorted back home to the land under the moon. It seemed her last group of bodyguards quit on the spot so here she was inside the leaf village.

"Oh, we are going to that place?" Naruto finally spoke in a muttered tone; he was not looking forward to how long this trip was going to be. Naruto didn't like boats; he would get seasick quick.

"You have been to the crescent moon kingdom?" Raiden wondered.

"Yes." Naruto said, "You haven't? That is weird I thought you guys have been everywhere."

"Yeah well, the moon kingdom is a wealthy community they can afford their own protection, so they don't really need us." Raiden explained.

"I am sure Sakura has been there though." Carver added in, "Now there is a person who has truly been everywhere." He laughed at his own joke.

"What took you there?" Raiden questioned.

"Um.." Naruto said looking away not feeling like talking anymore. "The king or whatever Michiru Tsuki when I met him he was this guy who loved money, he thought that was all you needed in life to be happy, but his wife Amayo hated that about him so they split up. They had a kid named Hikaru and he was a total brat at first, but I got him to open and not suck as much. I guess Michiru remarried and now he as a stepdaughter and that is who we are escorting back home."

"What's the girls name?" Sasuke asked.

"Um..." Raiden muttered looking at the sheet of paper. "Cressida Tsuki."

"Great." Carver sighed, recalling that name from one of Sakura's stories.

"I don't want to do this." Raiden said, Carver looked up from his phone seeing Raiden was glaring at something, Carver followed his eye seeing a girl wearing a tight green dress and high heels. Her hair was a foot tall, Carver wanted to see if something was going to crawl out of it; her makeup was caked on and she was on her phone talking about how cheap the leaf village appeared to be.

"Great first impression." Sasuke muttered, making Raiden chuckle. The four men walked over to the princess. 

"Cressida?" Carver asked approaching her, the princess put up her hand to the four men signaling them to shut up. Carver stepped up and took the girls cell phone, the young princess whipped her head around quickly; Naruto almost got whiplash.

"How dare you!" Her voice was high pitched, stinging the ears of Naruto.

"Are you Cressida Tsuki?" Carver needed to confirm.

"Yes, I am and I'm not interested I have a boyfriend." She said taking her phone back.

"Wait what?" Carver asked confused, "We are your escort team." Carver said annoyed.

"My what?"

"We are here to take you home." Sasuke said already feeling bored, Cressida looked Sasuke up and down.

"Ok." She said putting her phone away. "You can take me home, but you three always must stay six feet behind me-" Cressida pointed to Carver, Raiden and Naruto. "-I have a reputation to keep intact."

"What the fuck?" Raiden shook his head. Princess Cressida pointed to a pile of seven bags behind her.

"Get my things and let's go, you are wasting my time and my stepfather's money." The four men looked at each other than to the woman who was already walking out of the village. Team seven picked up the bags feeling scornful.

"What the fuck are in these things-?!" Raiden growled looking down at the three extra bags in his hand, "-rocks?" Team seven quickly caught up with Cressida.

"How is she going to travel in those?" Raiden asked tilting his head as he gazed down at her shoes.

"She's not." Sasuke muttered, "She's going to bitch to us the entire way there."

"Hey uh, Princess Cressida shouldn't you change into something more-"

"Do not give me fashion advice! Just because you all want to look like you all got your clothes out of a donation box doesn't mean I have too." Cressida snapped at Raiden. Team seven were left blinking as the princess turned back around texting away on her phone.

"This is going to be a long mission." Carver sighed,

"I want a raise." Sasuke thought out loud.

"I don't want to do this." Raiden repeated his statement, "Can we change our minds? We are not too far from the village."

\----

Naruto yawned as his back muscles were feeling stiff, after a week outside the leaf village while escorting princess Cressida back to her village, team seven was ready to snap her in half. Carver understood why her previous guards quit out of the blue leaving her unattended.

Naruto sighed hearing her complain about the hotel room they were staying in for the night. Team seven was stopping while in Hagi island to stock up on supplies and get a little rest while before taking a boat ride the rest of the way to the village hidden under the moon. Cressida was an extremely needy individual; she didn't like lifting a finger to do anything. The princess was rude and inconsiderate towards the people around her, she made Naruto think of Hinata...how sweet and wonderful of a person she was.

Naruto checked his phone again after plugging it in, it had died a day ago and as it lit up he was hoping to see a message for missed call from Sakura, but to his dismay he saw nothing waiting for him...a piece of him stared at the screen praying to see Hinata's name pop up but he blinked and remembered that she had died, it would be strange if he was to get a message from her phone which had been destroyed when the reapers invaded the leaf village. 

"What are you getting for dinner?" Cressida asked coming into the room from taking a shower.

"Whatever you want." Carver rubbed the back of his neck really wanting a peaceful hour of silence.

"I want to go out and eat." Cressida crossed her arms over her chest, Carver groaned seeing that wasn't going to happen.

"No." Carver said again, "Our job is to protect you."

"And do what I say." Cressida added.

"No." Raiden stepped in, "We are your guards, not your servants."

"That's the same thing." Cressida rolled her eyes.

"No--it's not—I can't-" Raiden held his hands up washing himself of Cressida, "-I am going to kill her."

"It isn't safe Princess." Sasuke flashed a fake smile, Cressida blushed as Sasuke moved closer to her. "We don't know who could be lurking around this town, it is better if we stay put and keep you out of sight. After all you are royalty-" Naruto's face was scrunched up as he observed Sasuke sweet talking Cressida into shutting up. Carver could see how Sasuke got laid all the time, Sasuke had a smooth voice and was creative with his word choice.

"I guess we can stay in." Cressida giggled as Sasuke flashed another smile.

"Thank you." Sasuke appeared completely out of character, but if it made the princess quiet Naruto wasn't going to question the method.

As the night progressed team seven was getting ready to wind down, they were about to play rock, paper, scissors to see who had to take the first watch. Carver and Raiden felt a tingle run up their spine. They flipped around to gaze out the cracked window,

"You ok?" Sasuke noticed.

"Uh-" Carver breathed feeling the familiar chakra spilling into the hotel room. Carver and Raiden jogged into the outside, the chakra saturated the nearby air.

"Sasuke stay here." Raiden ordered giving no other detail as he and Carver jogged towards the thick forest behind the hotel.

"What-!?" Sasuke called after them, Naruto didn't understand but knew he wanted to follow the two who were running into the forest. "Naruto!" Sasuke was visibility annoyed as Cressida walked into view.

"What is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Where did those three go?"

"Everything is fine."

"So...we are alone?" Cressida asked leaning against the door frame.

"They will be back-" Sasuke cut himself off seeing Cressida had undone a few buttons on her shirt revealing her large bust.

Carver, Raiden and Naruto ran through the forest, Naruto followed as a hundred questions leaked through his head, he felt the chakra now he understood as he kicked himself off a tree branch harder. Team seven had ran through the thin forest and stood at the mouth of a part of town. The three men walked slowly through the hollow town looking at the bodies lying on the ground.

"What-" Naruto breathed out staring at the thirty dead bodies that littered the ground.

"Do you hear anything-?" Raiden turned to Carver.

"No." He answered, not understanding what was going on they rounded a corner and stopped moving. Naruto's mouth dropped open taking in her foreign appearance. She pulled her sword from a man's chest; he fell to the ground lifeless. "Sakura..." Carver breathed catching her attention. Naruto stepped back as Sakura walked towards them.

A black mask rested over half her face, her hair tied up as she wore the waterfall villages black ops uniform and not her own that Naruto was used to seeing. That wasn't what bothered Naruto and made him feel unsettled, it was her glowing Christmas wreath eyes echoing against the darkness of the night. They didn't look how he expected them too, they weren't full of pain with the loss of a loved one but wild like a tiger in the middle of her hunt.

The closer Sakura got to team seven the more of a forest fire she reminded them of, each step she took was filled to the brim with rage, her body was tense ready to burn everything to the ground. Naruto didn't understand this hunger for war that swirled around inside her eyes, he remembered while inside her home of the waterfall village her explaining to him that she used to love the fight, the thrill of the chase but Naruto didn't believe that until now. Naruto didn't recognize this woman before him, this woman was an enemy not a friend.

"S-" Was all Naruto could muster as just stare.

"Sakura?" Carver shook his head, "What is going on?"

"How are you outside the training grounds?" Sakura questioned, Naruto frowned hearing a different tone wrapped inside her voice, it felt dominant. That tone was the kind of voice you bowed down to and never questioned.

"Outside the...what?" Raiden didn't understand.

"You failed-" Sakura looked from Raiden to Carver, "-you have two more weeks inside the training grounds, what pulled you out?"

"What are you-" Raiden didn't understand what she was talking about and it frustrated him!

"No..." Carver breathed, understanding what was happening.

"Sak-" Naruto wanted to step into the conversation, he wanted to know where she had been and why she couldn't answer her phone! But Carver put his hand up, stopping him from speaking as he quickly dropped to one knee. Raiden and Naruto looked at Carver stupidly.

"Get down." Carver harshly whispered, Raiden looked back at Sakura and shook his head.

"No." He said, he couldn't...he wasn't a soldier anymore and Sakura wasn't his boss she was his best friend. Sakura was his person!

"Raiden." Sakura's deadly laced eyes pulled onto him, he felt himself shirk under her gaze.

"N-No." He said, "You're not—we are not-"

"Commander-" Carver bowed his head, "-please forgive us we-" Carver stopped talking seeing her close the space between them. Raiden almost peed himself feeling the tip of Sakura's blade running across the top of his headband.

"Care to explain yourselves?" Sakura turned to Carver, seeing Raiden was too stunned to speak.

"Black ops mission." Carver lied bowing his head, "We were sent by Daw-Commander Dawn, our mission was to gather information from inside the Leaf Village."

"I wasn't informed of this." Sakura glared down making Carver sweat.

"I-I am not sure why Commander." Carver's heart rate quickened, peeking through his hair to gaze at her masked face.

"Hm-" Sakura hummed pulling her eyes off Carver, he instantly relaxed hoping she believed him. "-I am pulling you from your mission, I don't give a fuck what the Leaf Village is doing."

"Yes Commander." Carver nodded,

"Let's go." Sakura stated, turning to walk away towards a portal that opened a couple feet before her.

"I-I am-" Raiden's face felt hot watching Sakura turn to look at him,

"Let me guess." Sakura's orbs burnt Raiden, "You like them."

"They-They are-"

"I don't give a fuck." Sakura cut him off, "Either get those headbands off and let's go or I am done with you."

"Sakura-"

"It's Commander." Sakura corrected.

"Right..." Raiden breathed looking over at Carver. So many questions circled team sevens head, Raiden didn't understand what had happened to Sakura or why she was acting like this.

"Coming Commander." Carver stood; Sakura turned as she began her way to the portal.

"Carver-" Raiden shook his head.

"Stay with the Leaf Village." Carver whispered,

"What-" Raiden's eyes widened surprised by Carver. Carver glanced back at Sakura's back. He knew something wasn't right, he also knew if she stepped through that portal without either Carver or Raiden behind her, there was a strong chance they may never see her again.

"I'll go with Sakura."

"Are you insane!? She is-"

"Something is wrong with her; she is acting like she did before the Nine was put together."

"Which is why you shouldn't-"

"One of us needs to be beside her, you know as much as I do if she gets in that thing, we won't be seeing her again! Stay with Naruto, I will call you when I figure this out."

"This is a terrible plan." Raiden whispered,

"It is the best we have." Carver said untying his headband, giving it to Raiden.

"Please-" Naruto quickly stepped up, "-take care of her, Kakashi's last words were-"

"I know." Carver said with a quick nod. "I will do my best to keep her safe."

"Let's go!" Sakura called, "I have shit to do." Carver jogged over to Sakura's side as Raiden felt a need to submit under Sakura's authority, it had been a while since he felt this way and Raiden didn't like it one bit. That wasn't his best friend standing across from him, it was the commander of the waterfall village and that terrified him.

"Raiden isn't coming." Carver said bowing his head.

"Figures." Sakura rolled his eyes, "I didn't think he would last long." Raiden felt a sharp pain in his heart as his mouth dropped open from Sakura's brutal comment. Carver turned back with pained eyes as he followed Sakura through the portal, leaving Naruto and Raiden alone with a bunch of dead bodies on the ground.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Naruto breathed pulling his hands to his hair.

"Carver left with-" Raiden was about to state the obvious.

"I know what happened Raiden, I mean why did it happen!?"

"I know it may not seem like it, but I think Carver is trying to safe Sakura's life."

"How?!" Naruto panicked. "You saw her, that was not Sakura!"

"Not the one you know."

"What does that mean!?"

"I am worried." Raiden said,

"Wh-Why-"

"That woman you just encountered was the Sakura I first met, that was the war machine Kaguya made by her hands."

"What does that-"

"That Sakura loved Purgatory..."

"You think...you think Sakura will bring Purgatory back?"

"I-I honestly don't know." Raiden breathed. "But I think someone, or something wiped her memory."

"Her...memory?"

"Yeah, it would explain why she acted the way she did."

"What does that mean? What do we do now!?"

"We wait for Carver to contact us."

"But-"

"That is our next move." Raiden said, "We don't know how long she has been like this; we don't know how much damage she has done. For all we know the Waterfall Village could be in ruins."

"I can't believe this..." Naruto breathed.

"I know, but we should get to Sasuke and the princess."

"Yeah..."

"We need to wrap this mission up quickly, get back home inform Tsunade of what is going on and so I can try and get a hold of Dawn or Diem."

"Right." Naruto nodded as the two men turned to head back to the hotel room. Naruto remained quiet as he walked beside Raiden, both shinobi felt uneasy. Naruto looked at the sky hearing Kakashi's dying words echo inside his head...

"Protect her."

Naruto closed his eyes stopping the tears, what kind of man would Naruto be if he couldn't protect her? He couldn't save Hinata, TenTen or Lee...he couldn't even protect his own sensei from dying...why was Naruto even a shinobi if he couldn't keep his friends safe?

"Ah." 

Raiden's eyes widened as he opened the hotel door, Naruto bumped into him seeing he stopped in the doorway.

"What-?" Naruto turned his attention back onto the world around him. "What!?" Naruto yelled seeing Sasuke in bed with Cressida on top of him. Cressida quickly covered her exposed chest as she yelled at them to get out.

"Shut up!" Raiden yelled walking into the room, pulling Naruto with him so he could close the door.

"Get-" Sasuke started but was cut off by Raiden's hard face. Raiden was a fun-loving person; he was goofy and fairy rarely serious. Sasuke sat up as the princess moved to cover her naked body with the sheets of the bed. "Where is Carver?"

"Get dressed-" Raiden continued, "-We are moving out."

"Why?"

"We will explain on the way." Naruto said picking up his bag as he gathered his things. 

It took team seven one week to complete their mission of escorting princess Cressida to the moon village. Once she would officially off their hands team seven quickly made their way home. On the boat in which they needed to take Raiden called Tsunade and explained to her what had happened with Carver and Sakura.

"If the reapers attacked Sakura and somehow had the strength to take her down and wipe her memory why let her go?" Sasuke asked as they sat inside their rented room on the boat, they were brain storming ideas on what could have happened to Sakura Haruno.

"I mean..." Raiden sighed leaning against the wall near the window. "As painful as it is to admit the Sakura from back then she was so unstoppable, she was so much more ruthless, she didn't have a heart she could step over her teammates dead body and never look back. If the Reaper's were the ones who did this it does not surprise me that Sakura got away from them and returned to the Waterfall village." Raiden said looking at the two. Sasuke nodded agreeing, he could see this scenario happening.

"What if it wasn't the Reapers?" Naruto wondered.

"Who else could it be?" Sasuke asked.

"Raiden and Carver said that other people were after Sakura for her seals."

"That's a possibility too." Raiden sighed looking out into the black water.

"What about Kaguya?" Sasuke asked.

"Kaguya?" Raiden said turning to Sasuke.

"Yeah, from what you and Carver say Kaguya is obsessed with Sakura. If Kaguya did this would it really be a surprise?" Sasuke thought out loud.

"Kaguya can't overpower Sakura, she has tried before and failed." Naruto countered.

"That is true..." Raiden muttered, "...but Sakura did just lose Kakashi and that fucked her up, it is possible Kaguya used that against her."

"We have no idea what could be true or where to even start." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose.

"There's no telling who to pick a fight with first." Naruto agreed.

"We can't randomly pick a place and start a fight." Sasuke said, "Tsunade would never allow that."

"We are just going to have to wait for Carver to get a hold of us." Raiden said still staring at the dark water beneath them.

"Oh yay..." Naruto grumped, "...waiting...my favorite thing to do."


	33. Chapter 33

After nine lovely days of team seven being on edge around the leaf village, Carver finally contacted Raiden. Carver quickly sputtered out directions on where team seven could meet him and on what day Sakura wouldn't notice him sneaking off. Team seven had a tiny window to get from the leaf village to the waterfall in order to make it on time. Naruto packed his mission bag and quickly dashed out of his apartment to get his teammates; sorrow hit Naruto's stomach seeing Kakashi's door. Raiden and Sasuke walked out into the hall, the three men didn't say anything as they made their way out of the building where they saw Tsunade was waiting for them. Raiden sighed, forgetting it was frowned upon to randomly leave your village without telling your boss, he still wasn't used to village life.

"We are going!" Naruto said pointing at Tsunade. "We are going to get Sakura back and if you try to stop us, I swear I will quit and leave the village!" Naruto yelled being his overly dramatic self.

Tsunade stared at Naruto and then pulled her head back laughing.

"Huh?" Raiden tilted his head.

"Wha-What?" Naruto was taken back.

"All I was going to say was good luck." Tsunade smiled, shocking the new team seven. "If anyone can get her back, it is you three." Naruto just slowly nodded, "Just don't go getting yourselves killed, alright?"

"We won't!" Naruto smiled, happy Tsunade was on their side. "Before you know it, we will be back home with Sakura with us! Believe it!"

Team seven consisting of Naruto, Sasuke and Raiden were moving through a darkened path inside a thick overgrown forest. The olden path was difficult to see as they weaved their way through following Raiden who seemed to know where they were headed.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke finally asked annoyed by the hot muggy air, "I thought we were going to the Waterfall Village."

"No, people who are uninvited will be attacked on the spot."

"What!?" Naruto thought that was completely stupid!

"We are meeting Carver a few miles away from the village." Raiden informed.

"How do you know where we are going?" Sasuke asked,

"I know because the Nine and I would hang out in these parts." Raiden smiled at the memories. "Don't worry, we are almost there."

"Finally." Naruto breathed, tired of jumping over and under overgrown branches.

"And you're sure no one will spot us?"

"Yeah, no one wonders around here because of how bad the vegetation has grown out."

"And you and your team did because...?" Sasuke trailed off,

"It was a good workout." Raiden grinned.

"Why do we have to meet him way out here?" Naruto whined at Raiden.

"Well...if Sakura can't remember the Nine then the chances are, she doesn't remember hanging out around her. She won't know to look for Carver out here if she noticed he slipped away."

"I see." Naruto muttered to himself.

"How is Carver sneaking away?" Sasuke asked.

"Sakura is in a meeting with Kaguya, I don't know why or what for, but it gives us time to talk." Raiden recalled what Carver had told him, on the phone Carver sounded a little desperate and rushed which made Raiden want to reach him as quickly as possible.

"Do you think he figured out what happened to Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"I hope so." Raiden sighed.

The three men ran inside the twisted dark paths that made up the forest around the waterfall village, after a while they came into a small clearing with a pond. Raiden smiled, seeing Carver with his hands crossed over his chest and his face hard like stone.

"Carver!" Raiden breathed seeing his friend was alive!

"Hey guys." Carver smiled at his team.

"How are you?" Sasuke asked, but Carver shook his head.

"We don't have much time."

"Do you know what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah."

"Did Sakura..." Raiden took the lead getting right to the point, "...did Sakura wipe her memory?" Raiden was worried, had Kakashi's death been finally been her last straw? Could she not handle losing the man she loved?

"No." Carver answered,

"Why does your face look like that?" Sasuke asked seeing Carver's hard face.

"Because we are fucked." Carver said looking at his team.

"Wh-What?" Naruto nervously laughed, "Why do you say-"

"Because it was Kaguya." Carver's voice snapped,

"Kaguya?" Raiden shook his head.

"How-"

"How do you know?" Sasuke questioned.

"Dawn, she was headed to Sakura's house when she heard Sakura screaming. Before Dawn entered the place, she heard Kaguya telling Sakura it would all be fine." Carver explained, "Dawn and I didn't have long to talk, Sakura has been busy."

"Busy doing what?" Raiden furrowed his brows.

"Hunting the Reapers."

"That's a good thing...right?" Naruto wondered.

"I don't know." Carver sighed, "She is how I remember her to be...restless and I don't think she even understands why she wants the Reapers as bad as she does."

"Is Purgatory back?" Raiden asked not wanting to know the answer.

"No."

"No?" Raiden was reliefed but confused.

"Kaguya is the one not allowing Purgatory."

"Huh?" Naruto and Raiden said together.

"Yeah, Sakura doesn't understand why the Waterfall Village is the way it is and was going to revert the village back to Purgatory but Kaguya said no, she didn't give any detail on the matter at all."

"Any idea on why Kaguya would do this?" Sasuke questioned,

"My guess-" Carver said, "-she was tired of Sakura always being gone and inside the Leaf Village."

"That makes sense." Raiden rolled his eyes. "She is a crazy bitch."

"Yeah." Carver agreed,

"So what do we do now?" Naruto asked,

"Huh?" Carver said.

"How do we return Sakura to normal?" Raiden turned to his teammate.

"What?" Carver laughed, "There is no returning her to normal."

"What..." Naruto shook his head.

"We traveled all this way-" Raiden said, "-to get her back."

"You haven't been around her." Carver replied, "There is no piece of our friend hiding somewhere inside that monster, the Sakura we knew and loved is gone."

"How can you say that?!" Raiden felt disgusted by how easily Carver was giving up on her!

"This is Kaguya, she was the one who did that to her. She is old as fuck and can do shit we can only dream of. There is no doubt in my mind that Kaguya burned the Sakura we knew out of her leaving behind the war machine she created.

"So that's it?" Naruto tightened his gaze on Carver.

"There isn't much we can really do Naruto, Kaguya she-" Carver sighed,

"I don't give a fuck how strong Kaguya is!" Naruto spat. "She forced Sakura to forget who she was, she took the Sakura we love away! I am not going to stand by and allow this!"

"Naruto we can't-!" Carver tried to get through Naruto's thick skull. "Kaguya could have used some rare bullshit technique that we have no idea how to reverse, we don't even know if this is reversable or if we have the strength to break what has been done!"

"Could we maybe trigger her to remember who she is?" Sasuke wondered.

"I don't fucking know!" Carver groaned rubbing his face, "I have no idea what creepy voodoo shit Kaguya did."

"We could use Kakashi." Raiden said throwing out ideas.

"Kakashi?" Naruto asked,

"She loved him-" Raiden went on to explain, Sasuke felt an annoyed sting in his chest hearing that statement. "-we could maybe use him to remind her who she was."

"Do we even want to?" Carver sighed knowing he was going to get hell for this.

"Excuse me?!" Naruto stepped closer, yup...Carver was right.

"I am just saying..." Carver held his hands up, "...Sakura has been through a lot, and clearly Kakashi hit her harder than I think we could understand-"

"That doesn't give Kaguya the right to wipe her memory!" Raiden snapped.

"I agree!" Carver shouted back, "But think about it, Sakura doesn't remember falling in love with him, and she doesn't remember him dying in her arms as he fucking proposed. Maybe this is for the best-"

"Having a creature like Sakura the Reaper will bring nothing but sorrow and pain." Raiden shook his head, "It is only a matter of time before she raises Purgatory, then what are we going to do?!"

"I won't let her-" Carver started,

"You talk like you would be able to stop her!" Raiden snapped.

"Fine!" Naruto yelled, shutting the two up. "We will have Kaguya do it."

"Do what?"

"Break or reverse whatever she did to Sakura."

"Uh..." Carver trailed off looking at Raiden.

"I don't think that is a good plan..." Raiden muttered,

"Why?" Naruto asked,

"Because you don't know how crazy Kaguya truly is, there is no way she will ever let Sakura go. It doesn't matter if Sakura was the person you knew her to be or a fucking bloody war machine. It would be a pointless conversation with Kaguya."

"We won't know unless we go there and-"

"Trust me Naruto." Carver said, the blond shinobi huffed, turning and picked up his bag.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked moving in his way.

"I am going to confront Kaguya." Naruto stated. "I am getting Sakura back."

"Naruto do not be stupid." Raiden said, "Kaguya will kill you, and it will never be traced to her or this village, the black ops or even Sakura will make sure of that."

"I don't care."

"Naruto." Sasuke said but Naruto cut him off and grabbed his arm.

"No!" He said ripping his arm away. "I am not losing her too."

"Naruto-"

"I hear you; I do." Naruto said looking at his team, "I hear you guys at night fighting over her, you talk about how it's been months since that day but it doesn't work that way. Sakura is ten times stronger than any of us and even I am not over what happened to Hinata. Fuck somedays I can barely get out of bed, seeing Hinata lying dead in the street still haunts me. Sakura watched Kakashi die, she held him as he took his last breath and until his heart stopped beating. He fucking proposed to her on his death bed! Nine months is not enough time to get through something so traumatic!"

"Naruto-"

"Kakashi used his last words not tell Sakura he loved her, but to ask me to do one thing: protect her. Kakashi trusted me and all of you to keep what he loved most in this world safe. I know for a fact he would march through those gates and do everything in his power to bring her back because even though it may be easier, only Sakura has the say of what should happen to her, Kaguya will not make those decisions for her!"

"Fine." Raided picked up his bag.

"Fine!?" Carver called quickly turning to him, "This is suicide! Kaguya will-"

"Then she will." Raiden stated looking at Carver, "Sakura has saved my dumb ass from a lot worse, to turn my back on her right now would be fucked up."

"Raiden-"

"I owe her my life." Raiden said with a laugh and a shrug, "Naruto is right, we should do everything we can, you know for a fact Sakura would run into the fire to safe us. I feel disgusted with myself for almost thinking about leaving Sakura in the hands of that twat." Raiden said with tears in his eyes. "I will die before I allow that bitch to win."

"We are going to die." Carver sighed,

"Yup." Sasuke agreed.

Team seven moved through the waterfall village as if they were walking on shards of glass. They were slow and steady trying to dodge everyone that walked near them. Carver pushed and pulled at Naruto as they moved through the darkened streets, it looked like the entire village was on lock down.

"Holy shit we made it." Raiden breathed as they walked down a hall.

"Don't count your eggs just yet." Carver breathed looking over his shoulder making sure the hallway was still empty. At the end of the hall rested dark oak double doors; Kaguya's office.

Naruto moved past Raiden as he wrapped his hand around the doorknobs throwing the door open without giving it a second thought! Carver almost cursed until he saw the room was not empty. Kaguya sat at her desk, her eyes on them standing in the doorway.

There was a still moment as team seven and Kaguya stared at one another.

"Carver, Raiden-" Kaguya blinked, "-Leaf shinobi. I wasn't aware there would be outside visitors today."

"You-" Naruto breathed, looking around not seeing one pink haired woman. "Where is Sakura?!" Naruto yelled stepping into the office.

"Hm?" Kaguya hummed.

"Sakura. Where is she and what have you done to her!?"

"I don't know what you're talking about in the slightest-"

"Don't fuck with me!" Naruto snapped, "I know what you did to her."

"Carver, care to explain why you have brought hostile intruders into my office?"

"You haven't seen hostile!" Naruto spat.

"Is there something I can help you with-"

"Yes, there fucking is, give Sakura her memory back!" Naruto yelled, his fist tightening as Kakashi's masked face and gravity defying hair flashed through his mind.

"If that is the only reason you have come here today, then you can go ahead and leave my village." Kaguya held her head high.

"I don't believe you fucking heard me correctly." Naruto glared into Kaguya's relaxed face. "I said give Sakura back her memories! Do you think I fear you?! I sealed you away once I can find a fucking way to do it again!" Naruto yelled. Kaguya and Naruto stared at each other as the rest of team seven looked at each other questionably.

"She will never get them back." Kaguya stood from her chair, Naruto's mouth opened slightly. Kaguay confirmed she had been the responsible.

"She-"

"Sakura was in a great deal of pain." Kaguya said, "I took the memories that pained her away."

"Yeah fucking right!" Raiden laughed, "You took the ones that made her want to not be around your psyco ass!"

"Sakura is mine now, she will remain here as she raises Purgatory from the ground."

"What?!" Carver's eyes widened as he sucked in a breath. "I thought-"

"I simply only said no to Purgatory because I knew I would need to use it as a chip."

"To keep her here." Raiden figured it out.

"Yes." Kaguya nodded, "Such a shame you didn't work out." Kaguya said looking at Raiden, "You would have made an excellent soldier."

"How dare you." Naruto spat through his teeth. "How dare you take her away from this world you crazy bitch!" Naruto yelled. "Sakura has repeatability lost everything and after all the bullshit she has been dragged through she still stands and fights for others who can't defend themselves, she fights for other villages when your selfish ass wants to block out an entire world who needs you! She has given up a normal life for us so we can live our own lives peacefully."

"Yeah!" Raiden agreed, "How dare you take her away from this world!"

"How can you do that to her?" Naruto shook his head, "She doesn't deserve this, how could you take her memories like that, granted they may be painful, but they were still hers. How can you take away the structure of what makes her her?! How can you even look yourself in the mirror after knowing what you have done? You are forcing Sakura to live in a hellish existence!" Naruto turned and looked at Carver.

"Sakura is perfect the way she is-"

"A blood thirsty killer?!" Raiden stepped forward, "You can't even call what she is right now a person! You molded her into a war machine for your own amusement!"

"She is per-" Kaguya went on to repeat.

"No!" Naruto pulled his phone out, pulling up his pictures and shoved it into Kaguya's face. Kaguya saw snap shots of Sakura smiling with Hinata and TenTen, laughing inside the café like they all had done while she was recovering inside the leaf village. Tears pricked Naruto's eyes remembering all the sweet moments he made with her. Pictures of Kakashi and Sakura moved across the screen, "It's not fair!" Naruto blinked the hot tears back, "I will not allow you to take her, my home no longer feels like home anymore. I lost my friends, my sensei, my girlfriend I will be damned if you take her too!"

"Sakura-" Kaguya shook her head refusing to believe these pictures of Kakashi holding Sakura close as she smiled in the picture.

"She loved that man!" Carver stepped in, "She was engaged to him before he died, I know she was hurting but how could you take his memory from her, how could you hide those feeling she felt away inside a box?

"I don't care." Kaguya waved Naruto's phone away, "Sakura is stronger without all those petty little emotions."

"Are you kidding me!?" Naruto and Raiden yelled,

"Sakura is perfect-"

"No." Raiden shook his head, "You don't get to decide how she is; you don't get to pick and choose what memories she gets to keep at your convenience!"

"Sakura being perfect-" Naruto cut in, "-is when she walks into a room and lights it up, she makes you feel at home under her gaze. You never got to see just how amazing and warm she can be because your so selfish you would take all that away leaving a bullet shell of a person just so you could keep her all to yourself."

"Are you really so cold your willing to lock her in a cage of anger and pain so you can get her all to yourself?" Sasuke wondered,

"I grew up with Sakura we have roots that intertwine, and I know her in ways that you will never know just how you know her in different ways I will never know. I hate sharing her with the other villages, I hate when she leaves but in doing so, I still get a piece of her; she still comes back willingly. She stays in the leaf village by choice, I have her as a friend she is a part of my family. Can you tell yourself that?" Naruto glared.

"What the fuck?" A voice laughed turning everyone's head.

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled seeing her standing in the doorway as she gazed into the room full of people. Sakura looked from Sasuke to Naruto and then to Carver and Raiden as she moved into the room and stood beside Kaguya.

"Sakura-" Kaguya nodded,

"What are they-"

"These men were here just threatening me." Kaguya informed, Sakura turned her head to look at team seven.

"Really?"

"N-No!" Naruto stepped in.

"Well...kinda..." Raiden muttered.

"But Kaguya stole your memory!" Naruto defended. "That is why we-"

"Is this true?" Sakura asked turning to Kaguya ignoring team seven.

"Possibly." Kaguya nodded,

"Possibly my ass!" Naruto pointed,

"But that version of you Sakura I took away, you don't like Purgatory."

"What?" Carver frowned.

"I am the one who stopped Purgatory?" Sakura asked in disbelief,

"Yes."

"Why lie to me?"

"You needed time to adjust." Kaguya smiled, "But you have now, if you wish to burn this village to the ground and restate it then by all means, have at it."

"No!" Naruto stepped forward moving towards Kaguya but a blur got in the way. Sakura moved to stand in front of Kaguya, with the wave of her hand she back handed Naruto.

"Naruto!" Raiden moved to him who fell to his ass looking at Sakura with a wide shocked expression. Sakura narrowed her eyes onto her former teammate.

"Why are you here." She breathed as anger laced each strand.

"They are your friends." Kaguya said,

"What?" Sakura laughed,

"It is true." Kaguya nodded, "The version I took away of you likes the Leaf Village, you visit there quite offen. Even two of your best soldiers joined the village after being stationed there by you."

"Your fucking with me." Sakura laughed turning to look at Carver and Raiden, a few things were now clicking in her head.

"I am not, you even got engaged." Kaguya went on.

"Engaged?" Sakura felt amused by these jokes. "What sad fuck would-"

"Kakashi Hatake." As Kaguya said his name teams seven turned to Sakura to watch her reaction to his name. To their dismay she didn't even so much as flinch at the sound of the man she once loved.

"What?!" Sakura chuckled at the idea of her dating a sad sap like her failed sensei. "No fucking way would I-"

"It is true!" Naruto stood, "You loved Kakashi and he loved you-"

"I call bullshit on all of this." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Sakura-" Kaguya called sounding calm and confidant. "-all of this is true." Sakura looked from Naruto to Kaguya.

"Seriously?"

"Yes." Kaguya nodded.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed, "Kakashi...he died a few months ago and you were in a lot of pain...but that doesn't give Kaguya the right to take those memories from you!"

"Hm." Sakura nodded, "Well then by all means Kaguya, keep those memories-"

"Sakura!" Naruto's heart dropped.

"No-" Carver shook his head.

"I would leave if I were you Leaf shinobi." A sickening smile crossed Sakura's pretty face. "It'll be a bloodbath here by morning and I know you don't have the stomach for it."

"I am not leaving-" Naruto stood.

"Save the heartwarming bullshit speech for someone who cares." Sakura cut in sounding annoyed. "If you don't leave, then I will be the one to force you out."

"Sakura, this isn't you-"

"How do you know?" Sakura wondered with a tilt of her head, "You weren't very present while I was inside the Leaf Village."

"I know and I am so sorry we weren't there but-" Naruto was cut off by Sakura who flew forward punching him in the stomach, all the air inside his lungs came rushing out as he held his gut falling to the floor gasping for breath.

"That is enough-" Sasuke stepped forward, Sakura reached down on her leg pulling a kunai from her pouch and sent it slicing through the air. Raiden couldn't catch it before plunging into Sasuke's arm.

"I am not one to lecture." Sakura smiled seeing the blood dripping from his arm. Raiden moved to defend Sasuke but Sakura was already two steps ahead, she flipped around slamming him into a wall. Carver ducked her first hit but failed at the second, she broke his nose with delight and sent him face first into the office door, it crumbled into pieces as he went through it. Kaguya sat back watching with satisfaction as Sakura took down her own team and friends.

"What-" Naruto breathed pulling himself up blood painted his face from his busted lip, "-Sakura, this isn't you. You're not this monster-"

"No." Sakura darkly smiled kneeling beside him, "I am much...much worse." The wicked smile and wild animal eyes made Naruto feel something he wasn't used to...fear...Sakura slid her fingers through his bright blond hair and took a tight fist full, she yanked his face until he was inches from hers. "If you don't leave my village, I swear I will get to your village before you and I will burn it until there is nothing but ashes in its place."

"Sakura..." Naruto breathed as he felt his swollen face throb, "...it's ok I'm here."

"That is why you should be afraid." Sakura grinned,

"Sakura, I promise I will find a way to fix-"

"I am not broken." Sakura smiled, leaning closer to him and whispered in his ear, "When I crawl into your village in the middle of the night, I am going to string your little leaf friends up by their necks, then I am going to make your Hokage and your precious Iruka sensei into human scarecrows. I will place them specially just for you at the crumbling gates of what was once your village so they can greet you when you get home. You can't fix something that isn't broken Naruto, I like what I am."

"Sa-Sakura..." Naruto's eyes were wide as he investigated hers, searching for the woman he gotten so close to, for the woman Kakashi loved. He saw nothing but death and a thirsty killer. Naruto felt scared as he backed away out of her grip, he watched Sakura stand licking the deadly smirk on her lips. Naruto turned his team who were bruised and bloody.

"Sakura..." Carver breathed, "...please-"

"Carver-" Sakura countered, "-please, give me a reason to slit your throat. Give me a reason to kill you and your team. I spend hours, days, even weeks-" Sakura locked her wild gaze onto Naruto, "-wondering how satisfying it would feel, feeling your warm blood trailing down my arm hearing you scream as I slice you into pieces!"

"We belong to the Leaf Village." Raiden said as if that could protect them from the Reaper of Reapers.

"I know." Sakura grinned, "That will be the cherry on top, they will try to come here to get revenge for their murdered shinobi and in return I get to wipe them off the map!" Sakura laughed; Naruto stepped back hearing the wicked sound inside what use to be his friends voice, hearing her used to bring him a sense of peace but now, he was staring at the face of an evil creature he couldn't recognize.

Carver grabbed Naruto's shirt pulling him from the room, Sasuke and Raiden followed quickly as they ran from Kaguya's office as Sakura's dry laugh echoed the halls.

Team seven fell to the ground after running from the waterfall village. Naruto gasped for air with wide eyes staring at the dirt path beneath him. Her eyes, that wicked smile and that laugh...it all imprinted in his mind replaying repeatedly.

"What the fuck was that!?" Sasuke yelled catching his breath as he held his arm.

"That was..." Carver sighed, setting his bag down to get his first aid kit. "...the Reaper of Reapers." 

"That...that thing is not Sakura!" Sasuke yelled as he cringed at the pain Sakura's kunai inflicted.

"Not the one you know." Raiden said taking the gauze Carver held out for Sasuke.

"That was..." Sasuke breathed recalling the look on her face as she looked pleased when she hurt him. "...I don't have words."

"Yeah...most people don't..."

"How...what..." Sasuke was in shock seeing the person Carver and Raiden tried to describe inside their stories.

"Just breathe." Carver said as Raiden patched Sasuke's arm the best he could.

"She kicked our asses without a fucking care in the world!" Sasuke yelled at Raiden.

"Yeah..." Carver sighed holding his broken nose.

"Why the fuck would Kaguya want to bring that thing back!?" Sasuke went on.

"I don't know." Raiden muttered, glancing at Naruto feeling worried as he saw tears falling down his face...Naruto was right he lost his friends, sensei, girlfriend and now Sakura wasn't Sakura anymore...as Raiden wrapped Sasuke's bleeding arm his stomach felt sour and vomit wished to exit his body. They didn't have the Nine here this time to get control on Sakura. She liked what she was turned into by Kaguya, she enjoyed spilling blood and the rioting she viewed it as a normal Thursday. "How are we going to fix her?" Raiden looked over his shoulder to Carver and Naruto.

"I..." Carver sighed as he closed his eyes. They stood a mile from the waterfall village, he rubbed the back of his head feeling a little blood. Sakura had thrown him against the wall, he could possibly have a concussion.

"I don't think we can..." Everyone turned, shocked to hear those words coming out of Naruto's mouth.

"Naruto-"

"You saw her face." Sasuke cut Raiden off, "You saw how thrilled she was when she was beating us to a pulp!"

"What are we going to do then?" Raiden asked,

"We need to get home." Sasuke said, "We need to get back to the village and prepare for when she makes her way to us."

The four members of team seven looked around at each other, Purgatory was going to rise again, Sakura made that clear. It was only a matter of time before all that collected chaos spilt out of the waterfall village infecting the surrounding area. Naruto looked to his feet as Carver pulled him up to look at his face. Naruto had a hard ball in his stomach as he felt he would soon learn the answer to his question he pondered not so long ago.

If Naruto had to go up against Sakura, who would win?


	34. Chapter 34

"Man, she kicked your asses." A voice turned team seven around. A group emerged from the trees moving towards the leaf shinobi.

"Dawn?" Carver said seeing Sakura's second and third commanders inside the large gathering crowd.

"Where the fuck was you!?" Raiden glared holding his arms out.

"Um...being smart?" Dawn smirked.

"Huh?"

"Sakura doesn't remember placing Diem or I as her Commanders."

"Oh yeah..." Raiden muttered not having realized this would have been a thing.

"Where are you four going?" Diem stepped in.

"Um..." Sasuke looked between the two commanders. "Home?"

"Giving up so soon?"

"Well I don't see you two doing anything?" Carver crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is there for us to do?" Diem countered crossing his arms, "We can't take her on."

"And we can?"

"You have a better shot than we do." Diem rolled his eyes.

"Your first attempt failed, so you're going to give up and forget about Sakura?" Dawn questioned.

"How long did it take you to get that Uchiha back?" Diem asked Naruto, "He was a stubborn fuck, but you never gave up so why are you now?"

"How do you know-" Sasuke muttered,

"Sakura always kept tabs on the Leaf Village." Dawn answered, as a young girl no older than thirteen moved past the two commanders. Naruto remembered this girl to be Annistyn, Sakura's fallen first second in commander's daughter.

"Why are you leaving?" Annistyn asked crossed her small arms over her chest.

"What do you mean?" Naruto muttered more to himself.

"Who are you?" Annistyn ignored Naruto's question.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I heard you barged into Kaguya's office and demanded she give Sakura her memory back." Annistyn spoke to team seven. "Are you going to fix her or what?" She asked, her bluntness reminded Naruto a lot of Sakura.

"Fix?" Naruto trailed off.

"That isn't Sakura." Annistyn's voice was strong but hollow. "That is not the woman who took me in after my mother died. She is not the person who trained and took care of me. She doesn't even remember my mom who was her second in command! Sakura is the only family I have left, and she doesn't know who I am! What has happened to her?" Annistyn demanded to know.

"It is a long story..." Naruto muttered.

"Why are you guys leaving?" The young girl lectured them,

"Annistyn." Dawn sighed, Annistyn looked down at the ground feeling in trouble as Dawn walked up to the young girl and patted her head. "She is right-" Dawn said, "-that is not the Commander I agreed to follow. I don't understand what Kaguya has done to her and frankly I don't care. We simply just need to fix her before things here get completely out of our control."

"Do you four have any idea how to reverse what Kaguya has done?" Diem questioned team seven. "We need to fix Haruno before she revives Purgatory." The four men were taken back by the hundreds of soldiers who had collected all around them.

"That is not my Commander!" Voices called out,

"We want our Commander back!" They cheered, Naruto was stunned seeing how many people loved Sakura, she was a fantastic leader and it showed here today.

"So." Diem said snapping Naruto out of his amazement, "How do we get her back?"

"We don't know..." Carver said honestly. "...but we will figure it out."

"Well hurry up and figure out what to do because we can't do anything here without her knowing we are up to something." Diem explained, "We will be here waiting, and we will do our best to keep Sakura contained and to keep Purgatory in the ground."

"Thank you." Raiden breathed, team seven turned and was about to start their long way home before a voice called out. Naruto turned seeing Annistyn running after them, she was keeping up to them well for her age. Could Naruto expect anything less from the little girl Sakura took under her wing?

"Who-Who are you." She breathed, "How can I trust you to really fix Sakura? How do you even know her, I have never seen you around here before?" She quickly questioned; Naruto smiled seeing a lot of Sakura inside this young girl.

"I grew up with her." Naruto whispered in the red heads ear, he stood hearing Annistyn gasp. She then looked up at his head band. The origin of Sakura, the Reaper of Reapers had always been the deepest mystery around the waterfall village and other parts. "Shh..." Naruto whispered with a wink and smile. She nodded knowing that it was a secret, "I promise you Annistyn-" Naruto said, "-I will bring Sakura back."

"I am trusting you-" Annistyn yelled after him, "-and you better not let me down!" Naruto chuckled, Annistyn was almost the spinning image of Sakura's straight forward attitude.

\----

"No way!" Naruto smiled wide seeing an instant ramen cup in Teuchi's hands.

"Yes." He nodded, "In a month we will be selling instant ramen in stores."

"That is awesome!" Naruto laughed, "I am going to have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!"

"Well I hope I will continue on seeing you here."

"You can count on it!" Naruto said as he slurped the broth from his third ramen bowl, Teuchi laughed as Naruto looked up about to place his fourth order for the day, he was treating himself since the past two weeks he and his team had been doing nothing but researching on how to reverse what Kaguya has done to Sakura, but every lead they think they have picked up on they always come to a dead end...Naruto sighed, setting his bowl on his forming stack in front of him as he leaned against the counter feeling depressed.

"When I crawl into your village in the middle of the night, I am going to string your little leaf friends up by their necks-"

Sakura's threat circled around his head again, her haunting words did more than just spook him that day...her cold tone terrorized his dreams and always made him wake up out of breath and feeling miserable. Naruto couldn't turn to his sensei, Kakashi's flowing silver hair flashed through his mind again, he was no longer here to offer his wisdom. Naruto didn't have Hinata to comfort him either and his teammates were just as rattled as he was, they were on the lookout for Sakura which terrified Naruto right down into his core.

Carver and Raiden lost a lot of sleep standing watch at night praying they didn't see Sakura march her way towards them with her army of ready to kill soldiers behind her. They talked about how it was only just a matter of time before Purgatory gets out of control and comes to them. Naruto sighed waiting for his food as he rested his head on the bar, no one has heard anything from the waterfall village or from Commander Haruno. Naruto wasn't sure if this was a good thing or just the calm before the storm. Naruto offend tried to imagine with Kakashi or Jiraiya would say right about now but everything he came up felt unwise and just plain sappy, how did Naruto expect to become the next Hokage if he couldn't conjure up advice in times like these?

"Naruto would you-" Teuchi said coming into view but his voice was cut short by the loud siren screaming through the village, breaking the afternoon peace. Naruto quickly sat up looking outside the store into the street, as his stomach sunk into his stomach he jumped to his feet.

"I promise I will pay later!" Naruto called as he scrambled into the out to see what was going on. Naruto prayed to the heavens he wouldn't get to the action and see pink hair leading an army this way, he wouldn't-couldn't go up against her, he promised Kakashi...

Naruto didn't get far before he was slammed against the nearby brick building. He gritted his teeth as he turned anger roaring to life in his chest as he kicked away the masked man holding him down. Naruto shook his head as bits of debris fell from his hair, he turned glaring onto the man who rose to his feet.

"Not this time." Naruto spat at the masked Reaper pulling a kunai from his leg, Sakura always warned the leaf village that the reapers wanted something from their village, it looked like it had finally come time for them to collect.

The group known as the Reapers pooled into the leaf village from the direction of the cemetery like a broken faucet. The leaf villagers ran towards the underground tunnels as Kiba, Shikamaru, and multiple other trained shinobi defended them from the invaders.

Tsunade cursed under her breath as she ran out of the Hokage Tower seeing smoke from building being sat on fire, she could hear the snickers from the reapers who had set the houses and businesses a blaze.

"You think this is funny?!" She yelled running full force towards them. "I'll give you something to laugh about!"

Carver, Raiden, Sasuke and Naruto stood around each other as they took on the masked men who flew into their village. Naruto couldn't tell them apart, they all wore the same uniform and mask, it hurt his head trying to keep his eye on one opponent!

Sasuke grunted as he was flipped onto his back, the wind getting knocked out of him for a moment. He leaped onto his feet locking eyes onto the woman who had a smile under her mask, 

"Alright." Sasuke said rotating his left shoulder, he was done playing parlor tricks. "You're in luck-" Sasuke smirked deepening his glare as he moved forward. "-I have had a really bad week, and daddy needs to express some range-" 

"Ah!" Carver laughed catching those words in his ear, pointing to Sasuke ignoring his opponent in front of him. "You do call yourself that!"

"Hahaha!" Raiden laughed recalling when Ino accidentally gave away his secret nickname when she was drunk, Sasuke's eye twitched glaring back at the two who were laughing their asses off and not taking the fact their village was under attack seriously!

"This is not the time!" Sasuke called trying to get the attention off him.

"Oh, I think it should be though!" Carver laughed turning to the reaper in front of him. "Don't you think so?" The masked man was taken back a moment as he blinked a few times, he didn't understand if this is how relaxed the leaf village was how was it so hard to take down?!

Raiden jumped over a large man, he stepped on his shoulder using him as a step stool to get out of the way of this sword. Raiden laughed seeing the mixed expression of confusion and annoyance of the reapers face. The Reaper charged forward, extending his leg out to get Raiden on his back so he could plunge his sword through his chest and move on to the next leaf shinobi. 

Raiden knew this trick all too well, due to Sakura and it being one of her moves. Raiden easily spun around the Reaper's body avoiding getting tripped up. Raiden quickly gasped, jumping away having been a little too close for comfort to the large man.

"Hey-Hey-!" Raiden yelled pointing at the man, "You got a fucking boner!?" 

"So what!?" The Reaper yelled shrugging his shoulder as if it wasn't a big deal. But under his mask his face was blushed as got as Raiden's hard eyes looked at him, Raiden was a handsome man "It's a perfectly natural reaction to the adrenaline of combat!"

"No-No-No-No-No!" Raiden said shaking his head and waving his finger, "That's not cool man-!" The Reaper rolled his eyes at Raiden's flushed face and went forward trying to attack him mid-sentence, but Raiden jumped back. "No-!" He yelled running away from the Reaper, "-I don't want to fight no more with you!" The large Reaper ran after him trying to keep on fighting Raiden who was not having it.

"Carver!" Raiden yelled running to his teammate.

"Huh?" Carver raise an eyebrow as he felt Raiden hide behind him. "What the hell-?"

"That guy has a boner!" Raiden pointed causing the crowd of fighting shinobi to stop and turn their attention onto him.

"I-It is a natural response to the adrenaline of combat!" The large reaper defended with a light stomp of his foot.

"Uh..." Carver said looking at Naruto. "N-No it isn't."

"Yes, it is-"

"Anyone else have a boner?" Carver called looking around, leaf shinobi and reapers all looked around at each other. Sasuke looked around at the stunned battle confused.

"No."

"See?" Carver shrugged.

"Shut up!" The reaper charged towards Carver who sliced the man down with ease.

"You really shouldn't go too far from us." Carver said turning to Raiden. "Creeps like this one could be-"

"There are people trying to kill you-!" Sasuke yelled, "-worry about that right now and the people who get turned on fighting with Raiden later!"

"No!" Raiden yelled childlike turning to Sasuke. "I don't want anyone looking at my no no square!" 

"Can someone kill me now?!" Sasuke turned away from his teammate as his head throbbed in with pain.

Carver spun feeling a familiar chakra as did Naruto, they watched from behind them as a large circle glowed in the dirt. Team seven's stomach soured seeing her seal.

"She-She..." Naruto breathed as his chest tightened as his heart ducked for cover.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" Raiden turned to Carver, they couldn't possibly defend the village and take her on at the same time.

"Uh-Um." Carver shook his head wind collected around the circles glowing on the ground, they were running out of time. "Run?"

"Really?" Raiden stated, blocking kunai with a masked reaper. "That is the best you got!?"

"I don't see you coming up with any other ideas!" Carver defended as he kicked a reaper a foot away as well as sending a kunai to chase after her. The feeling of the wind breaking behind him sent chills along his neck, Carver quickly spun around his heart pounding inside his chest only for it to drop in his stomach.

"It's just you?" Raiden tilted his head seeing Dawn and Diem, Carver breathed a sigh of relief.

"So nice to see you too." Diem walked forward pulling his black blade from behind his back.

"What are you-" Naruto was cut off getting kicked in the gut, he landed on his back as a large chakra presence entered the arena.

"We are here to help you not die." Diem replied sarcastically.

"But how-" Raiden wanted to know getting knocked back out of ear shot.

"It doesn't matter!" Carver yelled annoyed, "All that matters is we need to figure out what they want from this village and then keep them from getting it!"

"We already know what they want." Dawn said.

"What!" Raiden popped up.

"-and they already got it." Diem added.

"What!?" Carver and Naruto were shocked.

"Turns out-" Dawn said, slicing three masked men down. "-even though she had been a brutal bitch, Sakura has been very productive these past few months."

"Cut to the point!" Raiden yelled throwing his hands in the air, "I can't believe I have to express this, we are in the fight you are talking about! We need the that information to not die!"

"Sakura learned a lot while on her war path, the Reapers wanted this village because they already had weapons buried inside here." Dawn said. The members of team seven turned to look at each other.

"Can you-" Carver laughed rubbing his forehead, "-Can you run that past me one more time?"

"Sure-" Dawn shrugged, grabbing the arm of another reaper snapping it in half as she threw him into an incoming man impaling the broken armed man on his blade. She pulled a kunai and killed that man who stared at his friend on his sword looking confused. "-the only reason the Reapers wanted to get into this village is because they already had their weapons to bring this place down placed inside here."

"And what would that be!?" Raiden yelled with his hands still in the air, Naruto quickly threw two kunai taking the oncoming reaper who Raiden couldn't see. Raiden turned watching the masked man drop.

"These fuckers all look the same!" Raiden laughed. "It's fucking annoying!"

"What are the weapons?" Carver turned to Dawn. Naruto got kicked, he flew back a few feet landing onto his back. Coughing for air Naruto turned onto his side seeing a tall man walking into sight.

"Fuck." Carver and Dawn breathed seeing the same tall man with long blond hair, brown eyes with a pale complexion. He went by Malachite; he was the leader of the reapers.

"Perfect-" Malachite breathed closing his chocolate eyes for a moment, "-timing as always." Naruto didn't understand until he felt himself getting lifted by his shirt. His large blue eyes widened seeing a large blade sticking into the ground where he was just lying. Where...Where had that come from?!

Naruto turned his large eyes seeing her hair strands as she dropped him on the ground next to Carver and Raiden. Naruto sat up on his ass looking at Sakura as she blocked the sun from his eyes. She ignored his presence as she was completely focused on Malachite. Naruto couldn't breathe as he stared at her hard face and her glowing Christmas wreath eyes.

"I am going to make your Hokage and your precious Iruka sensei into human scarecrows."

Sakura's sickening words pounding inside Naruto's head as she took steps forward, Naruto should have been more focused on the group who just invaded his home, but he turned to Carver. Sakura just saved him from being killed, she was here responding to the reapers. What did this mean!? Was she only here because of them?

"The Reaper of Reapers." Malachite grinned at the pink haired soldier gripping her blade tightly. "It just wouldn't be a party without you here."

"Sorry-" Her voice called out; Naruto turned looking at her back, her voice sounded like he remembered Naruto scrambled to his feet. "-did I keep you waiting?"

"What are their weapons?" Carver whispered to Dawn, "Could we get to them and destroy them before-"

"You're not going to want to do that." Dawn whispered back.

"What-" Carver didn't understand until he heard smoke, he turned his head seeing large crates being summoned. Carver gulped, what the fuck was inside those things!? The fronts of the three crates slowly fell open. Naruto's mouth dropped open as his stomach bile almost flew out into the open seeing her long dark blue hair flowing in the light breeze.

"That is their weapons." Dawn said as three people stepped into sight.

"Those are-" Raiden shook his head.

"They are not clones." Diem informed loud enough for everyone to hear, "Do not aim to kill!"

"But-" Naruto shook his head as he felt tears form in his eyes. "-h-how?!"

"It's their trademark." Dawn breathed turning to look into Carvers eyes. "We learned so much more about them than we could have ever imagined."

"Their trademark?" Sasuke asked looking at the three people moving out of the crates.

"Yes." Dawn nodded, "That annoying fucking poison that won't let you be healed by chakra, that was just their key. We will explain more after all this is over, but do not kill them they are just under the Reapers control."

"Under their control?" Naruto muttered turning to see the blank look in Hinata's face, her eyes were a glowing shade of red as she stared into an abyss of nothingness. TenTen and Lee stood beside her with the same look on their face and glowing red eyes. "How do we free them!?" Naruto turned to Dawn feeling a fire ignite inside his stomach. Hinata was alive! Hinata was standing just a few yards away from him! After all these months of missing her to the point he was in tears sitting inside his shower, there she was!

"No idea." Dawn said.

"Wh-What!?"

"We didn't get that far." Diem answered.

"No matter." Naruto shook his head turning to lock eyes on Hinata, he didn't give a damn what it took; he was going to free her.

Sakura moved forward her eyes locked onto Malachite; this was ending today. Sakura didn't give a damn if today was the day she lost her life; the age of the reapers will end even if it costed her her last breath. Reapers scattered to get away from her and the rage reflecting off her orbs.

"It's been a while Reaper." Malachite watched in amazement as she marched her way to kill him.

"Way to long." Sakura agreed tightening her grip on her sword, she had been itching for this moment for years, nothing was going to stop from her pulling Malachite's heart out of his rib cage and crushing it inside her hand!

"Do you think this is a tea party!?" Malachite snapped at his reapers standing behind him away from Commander Haruno. "You don't need an invitation! Bring this village to its knees!"

"Not going to happen." Sakura darkly smiled.

"Isn't it?" Malachite countered.

"I can promise you-" Sakura snapped her mouth shut, turning her attention to the three-leaf shinobi who she thought had died. She wrapped them inside a dome before Malachite could activate them, ordering them to attack the leaf shinobi which would pull her attention off Malachite letting him get away with the real prize of today. Hinata, Lee and TenTen were just simple distractions.

"Very smart Reaper-" Malachite chuckled.

"You're not as clever as you think you are."

"So, you have figured out the main purpose for our wonderful poison-"

"I am not interested in talking with something like you." Sakura glared, "I just want to get to the part where I tare you to pieces." She sneered.

"I am afraid that isn't on the agenda today, I am just here to-"

"I don't give a damn." Sakura shrugged, "I am putting it on your schedule."

Sakura pushed herself on her right leg, shooting towards Malachite with her blade ready, she spotted a shadow on the dry ground. Sakura lifted her sword over her head colliding with Malachite's guard dog. She should have been smarter than this and known he would have had something waiting inside the shadows. Sakura's eyes widened seeing the silver hair and masked face as she pushed him back. Sakura flipped backwards a few feet quickly turning as her lungs forgot how to pull oxygen into her body and her heart dropped its rhythm.

"Kakashi." Sakura breathed the bitter tasting letters of his name.


	35. Chapter 35

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, she wasn't expecting him, Hinata or TenTen maybe sure...but not Kakashi...Sakura's stale heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, the cracks that laced her heart through the years of damage stung sending lighting through her veins.

"Do you like my new toy?" Malachite grinned, "Kakashi of the sharingan makes the perfect body guard, don't you think?"

"Oh." Sakura breathed out with a chuckled. "-I am going to enjoy pulling you apart." She turned looking at Malachite's face.

Sakura could see the blood-soaked stain on Kakashi's stomach where he was stabbed by the reapers fourth in command that day inside the leaf's forest. Damn...to Sakura that day felt like years ago. She felt an urge to reach out and touch him just to see if he was real or if this was another twisted nightmare her brain tormented her with. She missed him so much it hurt her to breathe living without him, life has been one long hellish slap in the face since he died.

As Kakashi stood before her, both his eyes glowing read all she could do was stare. When she buried him, he took pieces with her and she hadn't been the same since. Sakura knew she still wouldn't be able to put back the life she had here before Kakashi was taken away. She could feel Naruto's gaze on her back, looking from her and then to Kakashi.

Sakura remembered everything that had happened when team seven traveled to the waterfall village searching her out when her memory had been stolen by Kaguya. There wasn't any turning back from the things she did to them, she balled her fists up she could still feel her hand punching Naruto until he bled...she truly was a monster that didn't deserve people like Naruto in her life. The only thing she could do that could possibly make up for that was to end this fight and give Naruto back his friends, his girlfriend and his sensei and then leave.

Kakashi wouldn't be as easy to trap as the other three under the Reapers control, he was activated and would see it coming. Sakura felt herself splitting off, creating a clone--just what the world needs, another tainted thing like her.

"Dawn, Diem." Sakura called without pulling her eyes off Malachite,

"Commander!" The two perked up,

"Defend the Leaf Village." Sakura ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Dawn and Diem nodded, Naruto watched Sakura and then looked at Kakashi with his heart slamming against his chest.

"Carver, Raiden." Sakura called sending fearful shocks inside their chests.

"Y-Yes!?" Raiden's voice was unnaturally high.

"Keep him at bay." Sakura nodded towards Kakashi. "I'm giving you a clone to aid you."

"Wh-What?" Carver frowned.

"I don't recall you ever being this organized." Malachite grinned watching Sakura turn her eyes off Kakashi and onto him.

"Only when it comes to killing you." Sakura smiled back, she moved to get closer to Malachite but Kakashi reacted, causing Sakura's clone to get in the way blocking his kunai with the copy of her blade.

"Very clever Reaper." Malachite smiled drawing his sword. "But are you sure you want to do this? You do still have my poison coursing through your blood, and you are injured, are you not?"

"I don't care." Sakura said with a shake of her head. Naruto, Carver and Raiden went to aiding Sakura's clone to keep Kakashi in check. Sakura knew how to free Kakashi and the others, she just knew it was going to cost her a high price to do so.

"This fight could end up killing you." Malachite warned, trying to scare Sakura off from her march towards him. He did not want to fight her today; he wasn't expecting her to show up here and get in the way!

"I am counting on it." Sakura didn't fletch as she clashed swords with Malachite, Naruto glanced at Sakura as her and the leader of the reapers danced off into battle.

"Aren't you going to go after her!?" Naruto yelled over the loudness of battle towards Carver who looked at him confused.

"Are you going to keep him here?" Carver asked gesturing to Kakashi.

"Well..."

"I didn't think so!" Carver yelled as he, Raiden and Naruto circled Kakashi keeping him from following Malachite and Sakura. Raiden glanced over his shoulder at Hinata, TenTen and Lee who were beating against the domes they were trapped inside. As long as those domes stood, so did Sakura...

\----

"Sakura!" Karui jumped into sight, Sakura glanced over seeing the woman running towards where she stood, Malachite's blade digging into her side. She felt warm blood tickle down her chin as she smiled, ignoring Karui and looked at Malachite who held a shocked expression. Malachite had been controlling Kakashi and the others through a red orb which he held on his person and it was connected to him through his chakra. The only way to get close enough to destroy the damn thing was to allow Malachite to injure her, this was the price she knew she was going to have to pay as he quickly backed away holding the shattered orb in his hand.

"No!" He screamed seeing he lost his new toys. Sakura knew Naruto and the others would be able to take down the remaining reapers with the help of her commanders. Sakura rose to her feet, stepping in front of Karui.

"The war is over-" Sakura said picking up her fallen sword as she held her bleeding side. "-it is time for the age of the Reapers to come to an end."

"No." Malachite shook his head. "This is not over!"

"Yes-" Sakura moved towards him, ignoring the pain she felt in her body as she focused on Malachite and the fact that Kakashi was alive again. Knowing that fact gave her the strength to move forward, she wanted to kill Malachite and see Kakashi just one more time before she bled out.

"This battle may be over, but the war is just beginning!" Malachite laughed as he vanished.

"Sakura!" Karui gasped closing her eyes, Sakura cursed flipping around kicking herself into her friend's direction as she tackled her to the ground away from Malachite. Sakura quickly sat up,

"Until next time Reaper." Malachite's chakra vanished from sight causing Sakura to cure as she fell onto her back.

"Are-Are you ok!?" Karui breathed looking at Sakura's torso.

"I hate you." Sakura said looking at Karui.

"You do not. Come on-" Karui said, "-we need to get you help."

"I am good." Sakura breathed feeling sleepy.

"Your bleeding out!" Karui yelled gripping both sides of Sakura's face.

Naruto was feeling himself sweat as he panted looking at Kakashi whose eyes had returned to normal, he stood there staring off into space.

"Kakashi...?" Naruto asked slowly, Carver and Raiden stood beside him also looking at Kakashi feeling skeptical. Raiden turned seeing Sakura's domes had shattered, Hinata and the other two fell to the ground.

"What's going on?" Carver breathed watching Kakashi fall as Raiden quickly tried to catch him but got crushed under Kakashi's larger statue.

"Help me!" Raiden breathed out but Naruto turned running towards Hinata who laid on the ground with Neji beside her.

"It's really her." Neji breathed touching Hinata's face,

"Is she-!?" Naruto dropped to the ground feeling frantic as he looked at Hinata's closed eyes.

"They are breathing!" Guy cried out hugging Lee, with Naruto beside Hinata Neji turned to TenTen and touched the side of her face.

"Are they...alright?" Neji wondered studying TenTen.

"They should be." Dawn said walking over as Diem was looking around for his commander. "They may be tired and need a couple days of sleep but..."

"How did the control over them break?" Diem wondered.

"Where is Sakura?" Carver scanned the growing crowd.

"Help!" Raiden breathed out a couple feet away still under Kakashi, Carver ignored him and went to searching for pink hair in the crowd.

"I don't know." Dawn muttered, her domes broke, and she isn't here...how did she break the reapers control?

"Oh, thank you!" Raiden breathed feeling the weight being lifted off him, Raiden looked over and jumped seeing Kakashi was looking at him and had sat up. "Ka-Kakashi!?" Raiden blinked and then jumped, hugging the masked shinobi with tears in his eyes. "I have missed you!"

"Kakashi!?" Naruto saw his sensei was looking very confused as Raiden hung on him.

"How are you feeling Kakashi?" Carver asked as Kakashi stood and moved towards the group, Raiden still clinging onto him.

"What um..." Kakashi looked around seeing there had been a battle he missed, "...what is going on?"

"That is long story." Carver said tilting his head back, "I am just glad to see you're alright!"

"Yeah!" Raiden agreed, Naruto smiled looking up at his sensei with tears. If he didn't have Hinata wrapped in his arms, then he would bear hug Kakashi.

"Do I know you?" Kakashi tilted his head looking at Carver, and then down at Raiden.

"Huh?" The two said.

"Kakashi..." Naruto breathed, gently putting Hinata down and moving towards him. "...do you not remember them?"

"Should I?" The masked man looked down at his student, Kakashi reached over and placed his hand on Naruto's head. Naruto brightly smiled missing this feeling. "You have gotten taller?"

"Huh?" Naruto opened his eyes, "Kakashi?"

"Sensei." Kakashi added on with a closed eye smile.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Sasuke stepped in.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi felt surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Confusion filled the crowd.

"What is going on?" Carver turned to Dawn, she looked from Carver then to the leaf shinobi all around her.

"I don't know." She said.

"Kakashi!" Guy cried hugging him tightly.

"What are you doing?!" Kakashi groaned as Guy refused to let go of him.

"What do you mean!?" Guy gasped, "Kakashi you have been dead for the past ten months!"

"What?" Kakashi's eye widened,

"It's true!" Naruto said, "Well..." Naruto turned, "Was he dead?"

"Yes and no." Dawn answered.

"That..." Naruto sighed with an annoyed look. "...that didn't answer anything I just asked."

"Wait..." Raiden felt a sting in his chest as he looked up. "If Kakashi can't remember you or I..." He said to Carver who quickly caught on while the others around them didn't.

"He won't remember her." Carver realized.

"This is temporary right!?" Raiden ran into Dawn's personal space. "He will get his memory back!?"

"I-I don't know!" Dawn kicked Raiden away. "All of this was just theory!"

"What!?" Naruto yelled, "You mean you could have broken control over them and Hinata and Kakashi would have died!?" Naruto glared at Diem.

"It was the best we got, and Sakura was right so what is the problem!?" Diem glared back.

"But-"

"Kakashi." Carver turned hearing her tired voice.

"Sakura-" Carver went to warn her, but he was too late Sakura practically ran into his embrace. Sakura smiled feeling the familiar feel of his body against hers, this was all she wanted. She just wanted to be wrapped inside his strong grasp and everything else she could deal with now. Kakashi looked down seeing pink hair.

"Sakura?" Kakashi's voice sounded confused but still sent shivers through Sakura's body as his arms wrapped around her. She felt him look up to someone, "Naruto, Sakura is alive!" Sakura opened her eyes feeling something was off, his tone was...different.

"Kakashi?" Sakura breathed looking up to see his face, he was looking back at her. She pulled her lips together as she felt a need to cry in relief, for months all she could see when she closed her eyes was Kakashi's dead stare stained inside her brain. Sakura looked at the man who proposed to her on his death bed, his ring rested on a silver chain tucked inside her shirt in order to protect it.

"Look how long your hair is!" Kakashi smiled under his mask, Sakura frowned as she furrowed her eyebrows confused. Carver closed his eyes as he watched it click inside her head.

"You-You don't remember me..." Sakura breathed stepping away from him, her heart heavy as she felt another crack chip her heart adding to her large collection.

"Of course, I remember you." Kakashi grinned, "You were my student after all-"

Sakura's heart crushed at that word...student...he didn't remember falling in love with her, Kakashi couldn't remember their shared moments together and he didn't know how much he selfishly got her to love him. Sakura turned her head as this all sunk it, Kakashi may be alive with a beating heart but the man she loved, he remained dead living inside her faded memory. Sakura pushed back the pressure on her eyes as she watched him move away from her, TenTen and Lee had woken and was looking around confused.

"He didn't remember us either." Carver said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah." Raiden agreed.

"Get them to the hospital." Sakura ordered without looking at anyone as shock filled her body.

"Right..." Raiden nodded as he and Carver began to push the large crowd towards the direction of the hospital. Karui watched them walk away but she turned and saw Sakura was staring off into space.

"Hey..." Kurai breathed, "...you need to go there too."

"I-" Sakura said feeling the shock leave her body and anger replace it, she felt her side and the blood leaking down her leg. Sakura instantly shut up feeling his chakra behind her. Karui backed up seeing Malachite looked at them with wild eyes. "You really are stupid." Sakura smiled as fire ignited inside her hand, she bit her jaw down as she placed the heated blaze against her wounded side.

"Sakura-"

"Get to Dawn." Sakura ordered.

"But-"

"I said go!" Sakura snapped, "Before you get in my way again!" Karui turned on her heeled boot and ran towards the direction everyone walked, Sakura watched to make sure her friend was moving from harm'sway before turning to Malachite.

"Reaper-"

"Are you coming back because you think you'll be able to kill me?" Sakura smiled wiping her bloody wet hand on her pants before pulling her blade out. Sakura knew she had injured him just like he injured her, the question was how bad did she get him?

A darkened smirk spread across Malachite's face as he summoned two boxes beside him. Sakura braced herself as the lids opened, Malachite wasn't in any better condition Sakura was in, he couldn't continue fighting, so he was going to have to use the entire reason he came here. Malachite didn't mind giving his new toys a test drive though, and if it took down the reaper who had been the biggest thorn in his side than that would just be a bonus.

"Fuck me." Sakura sighed watching Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze step into the open. This just wasn't her day; Sakura knew Malachite couldn't go far if he wanted to control Naruto's parents. But Sakura also knew she couldn't just kill them to get to him, Naruto would never forgive her.

Naruto's parents bolted forward; Sakura defended herself matching the yellow flash's speed. Sakura gritted her teeth at the pain in her side as she blocked Kushina's kunai. Sakura was feeling tired and hungry, she was running low on chakra and didn't have much energy left.

Malachite had a plan, he quickly texted people on his phone setting off attacks in other villages. Those villages would then activate Sakura's seal's, Malachite knew from an inside source she had not reset thosevillage seals with their own little supply since her memory was wiped clean and she didn't care enough to do it. The seals around the village would draw from her personal chakra supply and he knew by now she couldn't have much left since he was in the same boat as her, plus she had lost a lot of blood and her pale, sweaty skin showed signs of blood loss.

Sakura jumped over Kushina and ran towards Malachite who enjoyed the show, she tried to break the orb in his hand-four villages activated the large seals sucking her chakra from her like a thirsty kid drinking from a straw. She cringed falling to the ground, her eyes activating. Sakura rolled over onto her back the cut on her side burned and screamed, questions floated around her skull asking her why was she doing this?

Kushina appeared and plummeted her kunai into Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up biting the scream as she looked up into the blue sky. What the fuck was the point of fighting to get her memory back? As Sakura drew her leg up, kicking Kushina off her Sakura saw from the corner of her eye the red orb in Malachite's hand shattered, blood dripped down his hand as he ripped the kunai out of his palm. Dawn and Carver jumped after Malachite who vanished before they could reach him.

"Ugh!" Carver sneered feeling his chakra vanish; Malachite was right there they were so close to ending this!

"Sakura!" Raiden moved towards her as she picked herself up off the ground, her eyes burned inside her skull and her mind felt like it was flat lining. Her body froze in place as a shield bloomed around her.

"Fuck!" Diem said walking closer to his commander, he quickly looked above seeing a dome explode over the leaf village.

"What does that mean?" Raiden asked.

"It means Sakura is so tired she can't function." Dawn said in a duhed tone.

"Why are you such an asshat!?" Raiden glared into Dawn. Carver ignored Raiden and Dawn bickering looking at the two who were just freed from Malachite's control. They were looking at their bodies and then to each other. Carver tilted his head, who were these two and why did Malachite want them?

Kushina and Minato looked at each other and breathed smiling at each other before quickly embracing.

"We are alive!" Kushina breathed after Minato kissed her, "How-Why?"

"I-I don't know." Minato shook his head, he turned to look at the four watching them.

"Who are you!?" Raiden yelled not understanding.

"Why are Sakura's shields up!?" Naruto came running towards them with Karui and everyone who should be inside the leaf hospital getting looked at right now behind him.

"Yo!" Raiden waved seeing the group, Naruto froze, his eyes widened as his heart stopped.

"M-Mom?"

"Huh?" Carver looked over.

"Dad?"

"Are you talking to Sasuke?" Raiden wondered, Naruto ignored their comments as he ran towards Minato and Kushina whose minds were still rattling around in confusion.

"Naruto!" Kushina cried, tears falling down her face seeing her son as she opened her arms wide ready to huge her son for the first time.

"Sensei?" Kakashi breathed seeing Minato.

"Well..." Raiden smacked his lips. "...there is so much I do not understand."

"We know." Carver said with a laugh. Sasuke tilted his head seeing Sakura staring off into space with a blank look on her face.

"Yeah-" Diem noticed Sasuke, "-I wouldn't do that if I were-" Sasuke ignored Diem and reached out anyway, he came in contact with the shield placed around her and flew backwards being electrocuted.

"Sasuke!" Naruto saw.

"He is fine!" Carver called holding his arm up trying to calm the group who was getting excited.

"I told you not to touch." Diem muttered as Sasuke sat up.

"You could have been louder!" Sasuke glared.

"Don't touch a woman without permission." Diem said, "That is something you should have been taught as a child, where are your parents I need to have a conversation with them."

"They are dead." Sasuke's voice was flat.

"Aw." Diem said, "That explains just so much with you."

"What does that mean!?" Sasuke felt offended as Shikamaru muffled his laugh.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked moving closer to her with his parents beside him.

"She is..." Carver trailed off; he couldn't say fine because that wasn't entirely true.

"She will be fine." Dawn stepped in.

"But-"

"She is powering the shields." Dawn said looking up above her head.

"Did the other villages activate theirs?" Raiden asked, "But why?"

"Maybe Malachite planned this I don't know."

"Why does she look like that-" Sasuke said motioning to Sakura's blank face.

"This is her fail safe." Dawn yawned feeling tired and a little hungry. "The past few months have been...difficult...in that time she hadn't replenished the village's seals since they used all the stored chakra. So, since they activated the domes around the villages, she will power them and remain like this until she recovers."

"She is bleeding." Raiden narrowed his eyes on her shoulder.

"I-I um..." Kunshia blushed, "I did that, I am so sorry I didn't mean-"

"We know." Carver said, "She knows to, you weren't in control."

"Forget her shoulder!" Kunai said stepping closer, "Worry about her side!"

"Her side?" Sasuke questioned,

"That freak Malachite stabbed her!" Kunai gushed, "She cauterize the wound before going up against you two-" Kanai pointed to Naruto's parents.

"There isn't anything we can do." Diem said, reaching out towards Sakura but got shocked the same as Sasuke.

"Why did you-" Sasuke wanted to know why Diem didn't fly back like he had!

"I am not a bitch." Diem rolled his eyes as Sasuke's face.

"So we just going to let her bleed out!" Karui looked at all the faces around her. Carver licked his lips as he glanced over at Kakashi who stood beside Minato. Carver sighed turning back to Sakura, he had no idea if this was going to work or not.

"Kakashi!" Carver called,

"Hm?" The masked shinobi turned hearing his name.

"Come here." Carver nodded, Kakashi did as told and moved to stand beside Carver. "You're up." 

"What?" Kakashi asked as Naruto felt nervous.

"You may not remember shit." Carver crossed his arms. "But she did just save your village, freed you and your sensei to so...give it a go." Carver backed away giving Kakashi room. Kakashi sighed, turning to look at Naruto and then Minato who smiled. Kakashi's head was spinning but he moves forward anyways lifting his arm towards the shield. Raiden's mouth dropped as Kakashi's arm went through with ease.

"Well son of a bitch." Diem muttered, Kakashi walked up to Sakura gazing down at those glowing eyes. The silver fox had so many questions but for now, he wrapped his arms around her as he picked her up. Her body moved despite how stiff she appeared.

"Let's get her to the hospital!" Carver called as Kakashi looked around holding Commander Haruno not knowing what to do now.

\----

Sakura was lying in a hospital bed with Kakashi following Dr. Yu's instructions, not even her own doctor could touch her withput being shocked. Carver chewed on the inside of his cheek watching Kakashi patch up Sakura's shoulder that Naruto's mother had stabbed and her side. It shouldn't surprise everyone that the one person who could touch Sakura when her body and mind went into lock down would be Kakashi. He may not remember or even love her anymore, but Sakura still cared deeply for him Carver realized this today.

"Alright, that should be good." Dr. Yu smiled. "Now let's get you checked out."

"I am-"

"Let's go." Dr. Yu said dragging Kakashi out of the room against his will. Carver, Raiden and Sakura's two commanders were left standing inside the room.

"This has been a weird day." Dawn sighed sitting down.

"Yup!" Raiden laughed, that was an understatement!

"She can't seem to catch a break." Carver turned seeing Naruto walk in.

"Hey." He said, "How are your parents?"

"They are good." Naruto smiled, not use to hearing those words.

"That is going to be weird." Raiden laughed, "You have parents now!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Both my parents are asleep." Naruto smiled weakly looking down at Sakura. "I just wanted to check in on her and see how she was doing."

"She is stable." Dawn shrugged.

"How long will she be like this?"

"It varies." Diem answered,

"It took what-" Carver turned to Raiden, "-two weeks last time?"

"Yeah."

"I see..." Naruto muttered, turning to Dawn and Diem. "...how is she back?"

"Yeah!" Raiden perked up, "How the fuck-!?"

"Took you long enough." Diem muttered with a sleepy face.

"What did you guys do?" Carver wanted to know.

"Nothing." Dawn shrugged.

"Huh?"

"You know how she is-" Dawn chuckled gesturing over to Sakura. "-we should have figured she wouldn't have liked the fact Kagua fucked with her memories."

"So, Sakura made Kaguya give her memories back?" Naruto guessed.

"No." Dawn yawned, covering her mouth. "From what we know, Sakura tracked down the jutsu Kaguya used on her and got rid of it."

"That's it?" Carver wondered not understanding.

"I guess, Sakura didn't go into much detail about it and honestly I didn't care enough to question her, she is back that's all that matters."

"So...she remembers everything she did while not having half her memories?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"She does." Dawn nodded.

"Hm." Naruto hummed looking back at her, he could still feel her hitting him in the face repeatedly until his eye swelled shut.

One long ass week dragged itself through the leaf village. Dawn and Diem were having trouble laying low while stuck inside the village due to Sakura being stuck powering domes around five villages.

Carver and Raiden spent most of their time trying to knock something lose inside Kakashi's head, but no matter how many stories they told him or how many pictures they showed him; he remembered nothing. The shinobi who were thought to be dead have been forced to stay inside the hospital under observation by Tsunade's orders.

While the leaf village began picking themselves up and fixing their broken village a long-forgotten shinobi was found wandering around in a daze looking rather confused. He had died years ago but stood inside the training grounds looking around at how much had changed. His niece Shizune was the one to find him, she rejoiced and dragged him to the hospital where Tsunade was checking up on the six who had returned to them.

"D-Dan?" Tsunade breathed looking at her lost lover who she watched die before her so long ago. He appeared to be the same, he smiled at Tsunade's ghostly expression as he hugged her. "Wh-What?"

Sakura opened her eyes on the eighth day, she blinked her burning eyes and looked around the room. She quickly recalled events and remembered where she was, Diem and Dawn had been staying inside her hotel room. Sakura let out a deep breath as she sat up.

"Sakura!" Dawn stood; Diem was by Sakura's side in a heartbeat. Their commander hummed in response as she rubbed her face. "Why are you getting up?" Dawn demanded to know watching Sakura pull the blanket off her legs and move to stand.

"Should you be getting up? I mean you look-" Sakura shot Diem an annoyed look, "-fantastic as always but aren't you tired?"

"How long was I out?" Sakura questioned spotting her shoes on the counter.

"Eight days." Dawn answered with her eyebrows knitted together looking worried. Sakura's throat was dry as she nodded. She breathed seeing the room was empty, she blinked trying to push the burning sensation away.

"How are they?" Sakura questioned pulling her shoes on.

"Um..." Diem looked at Dawn.

"Carver and Raiden are fine, they are..." Dawn smiled weakly, "Adjusting well into this village." Dawn's face for just a moment, showed how she missed those two knuckleheads raising hell inside the waterfall village. "The eight shinobi who were under the Reapers control-"

"Eight?" Sakura turned,

"Uh yeah- Diem said, "Another person was found...Don...Dan...I don't know."

"Uh-huh." Sakura nodded, that name didn't ring any bells.

"They all appear to be healthy and ready to return to their normal life. The Hokage has kept them inside hospital just in case but I am sure with your word she will let them go home."

"They do-" Diem stepped in, "-all have memory loss, which wasn't something we were told about by our snitch."

"Figures he was holding back." Sakura stood grabbing her phone off the in table. "Are you ready to go?"

"Go?" Dawn repeated.

"Go where?"

"Home." Sakura's voice as tight as she pulled wind into the room in order to send them home.

"But your-your hurt." Dawn shook her head confused.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone?" Diem scratched his neck.

"Do you want to be stationed here?" Sakura asked,

"No." The two commanders replied.

"Very well then." Sakura said with a nod, "Time to go."

Sakura closed her eyes; she could feel his chakra and it brought her great joy and well as painful sorrow to feel it inside the world once more. For a single moment she thought about breaking this seal, she thought about running into his hospital room to look upon his face once more. Somehow, someway she caught his eye and stole his heart if he truly loved her once then he could, again right?

Sakura opened her eyes remaining inside the seal as it closed whipping her and her two commanders from the leaf village. Team seven look past her painted mask and gazed upon her true face, she remembered Naruto's terrified face as he took in what she really was. Sakura licked her lips as she looked around the waterfall village and its quiet streets.

Sakura walked forward to her office as her commanders followed her, Malachite was still out there. She was kidding herself if she believed she could playhouse inside the leaf village with Kakashi. Sakura plugged her phone in as Diem and Dawn sat in their usual spots looking at the map of the world and drawings of other dimensions they had been in during the search for the reapers hideout, it was back to square one in searching Malachite out.

Sakura pointed to the place on the map as she spoke, she was tired of masking what she had become after being banished. Sakura was a war machine, she loved the kill and now that team seven saw it she didn't see a need to hide it from them anymore. She was ready to kill team seven that day, she wanted to storm through those leaf village gates and string up those shinobi like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Sakura realized it was too late for her, she was already broken and stained, she was one of the things that go bump in the night.

So, in order to protect the last thing she truly cared for in this world...fuck it...if trouble must come then let it all come to her, inside the shadow of night she will crawl into the flames to protect them so they did not have to feel what she has already endured, she was ready to die anyway.


	36. Chapter 36

After two weeks Tsunade allowed the returned shinobi who were freed by Sakura from the deadly Reapers control to be discharged from the leaf village hospital. Naruto was standing beside a blushing Hinata who was staring at her feet, Naruto flashed another grin when the two noticed Hinata's mother and father had entered the hospital's lobby to collect their daughter.

It pained Carver and Raiden to see Kakashi, Hinata, and TenTen not remember who the knew leaf shinobi were. It saddened Naruto to stand back watch this and it hurt him even more as Hinata woke up not knowing she was in a loving relationship. Naruto lived a year without Hinata in his life, he refused to go another moment longer and even though Hinata couldn't remember Naruto and their relationship, Hinata had loved him since they were kids...Naruto had a date with her tomorrow. Naruto was blessed with this ease while Sakura was not. 

Kakashi had no memory of being with Sakura and was shocked to say the least when shown evidence of being with his student who he believed to be dead. Kakashi had three years missing from his memory, he accepted the fact Sakura Haruno was alive and well and he even accepted what people told him about their relationship. Naruto and Raiden were excited for a moment, they believed things could return to normal until Carver questioned Kakashi who held a stern face who then went on to explain that Kakashi did not believe a sensei being with a student was appropriate. 

Naruto let out a light sigh as he turned away from his thoughts. Sakura left the leaf village with her two commanders without so much as a word to anyone, not even to Carver or Raiden. If Hinata woke up, couldn't remember being in love with Naruto and refused to be with him afterwards he didn't think he could remain around her, on some level Naruto understood Sakura leaving the way she did. It must have hurt deeply seeing Kakashi return but at the same time it wasn't the man she loved that came back with him.

Naruto hugged Hinata before she walked out of the hospital with her parents. Speaking of parents, Naruto's were going to be staying with him until they were on their feet. He had dashed home and cleaned up, he smiled seeing his mother and father were thanking Dr. Yu for taking such good care of them.

"Are you ready!?" Naruto grinned.

"Of course!" Kushina smiled back at her son as she took his out reached hand. Minato laughed as he followed his wife and son out of the lobby into the streets of the leaf village.

"Crazy." Kakashi laughed to himself, it was so strange to see his sensei alive and moving through the streets once more.

"You can say that again." Tsunade agreed with a nod, "Are you..."

"I am alright." Kakashi waved.

"Let's go!" Raiden said wanting to get out of this place. Since Kakashi's apartment was now Ino's apartment and Kakashi had no belongings, he had no place to go. Raiden and Carver were going to take him in until he figured out what to do. "Oh, I know you should cook tonight!" Raiden spun around laughing.

"Huh?"

"You used to cook a lot for us!" Raiden said walking beside Kakashi with Carver as they entered the apartment building. 

"Really?"

"Yes." Raiden grinned. "You said cooking was a hobby, and since we can't cook to save our lives you should!"

"Alright." Kakashi smiled with a closed eye, in the past two weeks he had grown fond of these two. "Just let me know what you would like."

"Yes!" Raiden cheered as Carver laughed along with Kakashi.

"I wondered where all your things went." Carver thought out of the blue.

"Hm?" Kakashi turned his head.

"Yeah..." Raiden agreed, 

"You said Ino was the one who took my apartment?" Kakashi questioned,

"Yes." Raiden glared ahead causing Kakashi to chuckle, 

"Oh hey guys!" Naruto waved holding a trash bag. "What are you guys up too?"

"Just wondering around the village." Carver informed, "Kakashi is getting his land legs back, we are wondering what happened to his things and he agreed to cook for us tonight."

"Oh really!?" Naruto lit up, "If I buy the stuff can my parents and I join too!?"

"Really?" Carver asked, "You don't want to be alone with them?"

"I don't really know how to be alone with them yet...and Kakashi sensei was my dads student, I bet I could hear a lot of funny stories!" Naruto laughed. 

"Yes." Kakashi agreed. "I think it would be nice."

"Awesome! I will grab my keys and join you! You know, Granny Tsunade might know who cleared out all your stuff." Naruto thought as he walked into his apartment to inform his parents of what was going on.

"He is right." Carver agreed, "Tsunade may know."

"Couldn't hurt to swing by before going to the store." Kakashi smiled with his eyes, Raiden grinned, granted he didn't remember meeting them or getting close...Kakashi was still his kind self...where was Sakura, why wasn't she here with everyone?

"Really?" Naruto asked coming into view. Raiden looked up shaking away his thought of his missing friend and smiled. 

"Yeah let's go! I am starving!" Raiden cheered. 

"Hey granny!" Naruto waved as he walked into her office, she looked up visibly annoyed from her hand-held mirror as she was applying red lipstick. "Going somewhere?" Naruto asked seeing Tsunade was dressed up with makeup on, Naruto tried to recall the last time he seen her in makeup but was coming up short. Tsunade cleared her throat, she had a date with Dan.

"What do you need Naruto?"

"Oh!" Naruto laughed shaking his head clear of his thoughts. "Do you happen to know who cleared out Kakashi's apartment?"

"Huh?" Tsunade blinked.

"My apartment-" Kakashi stepped up but Tsunade held her hand up.

"I know what you said Kakashi I just...well..." Tsunade sighed, "Sakura was the one placed in charge of it."

"Sakura?" Naruto's heart skipped as her cold-blooded eyes flashed through his mind as her voice echoed in his head: "You can't fix something that isn't broken Naruto, I like what I am."

"Why?" Raiden asked.

"Well..." Tsunade leaned back in her chair, "At the time, Sakura was Kakashi's fiancé and she was his closest next of kin. She was placed in charge all his affairs..."

"Why didn't we know this?" Carver asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"It was..." Tsunade breathed, "...a hard time for her, I don't think she knew how to deal with it and having you all looking at her like she was broken was something she didn't want to deal with on top of mourning..."

"But how did she-"

"I helped her pack up the apartment." Tsunade said honestly.

"What!?" Naruto jumped.

"I'm sorry Kakashi, but you were-"

"I understand." Kakashi said with a nod.

"I don't know what she did with your belongings that, you will need to contact her for." Tsunade finished as she rose to her feet,

"Where are you going?" Naruto whined,

"I have a date." Tsunade smiled.

"Eh!?" Naruto and Raiden cringed.

"I am in the prime of my life!" Tsunade snapped.

"But aren't you going to call Sakura?" Naruto asked,

"No?" Tsunade said, "Why can't you?"

"Uh..." Naruto looked to his feet; his face flinched at the sound of her name let alone seeing her again.

"You do know-" Tsunade sighed, "-when you saw her inside her village, whatever happened she wasn't completely herself."

"Yeah..." Naruto looked away; she was though...that is what scared Naruto...

Raiden and Carver had been the ones to message and call her, to Naruto's delight she didn't respond giving him the courage to text and send a quick call her way as well showing his effort. 

"She will get back to us." Carver said to Kakashi as they left the store. "Sakura is a pretty busy person."

"You said she was a Commander?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yeah." Raiden nodded, "Of the Waterfall Village."

"And you two use to work for her?"

"Yeah." Carver said lightly punching Kakashi's shoulder, "Look at you catching on quickly!"

"I cannot wait for dinner!" Raiden beamed holding three plastic bags full raw stakes. "It has been forever since we have had Kakashi's home cooked food!"

\----

Sakura looked up hearing someone walk into her office, his silver hair caught her eye first. Sakura looked up from leaning on her desk as she watched him move into the room, confusion leaked all over her face.

"Kakashi?" She questioned his presence. "What are-" Her voice got stuck in her throat as he closed the space between them, he gripped both the arm rests of her chair leaning close to her.

"Nothing-" Kakashi's hot breath fanned her face, "-will keep me away from you." Sakura's heart almost melted in her chest until...

Biss...Biss...

Sakura opened her eyes, scanning around her empty office and let out a deep sighed seeing she was alone she leaned back in her chair. Sakura looked at her phone, the screen was bright seeing another missed call from Carver. It had been four days of them blowing up her phone, she read their messages she knew what they wanted but she wasn't ready to see him...she knew it wasn't right though, she had all his belongings. They weren't hers to keep to herself no matter how badly she wanted too.

Sakura sighed slowly standing from her chair feeling sore from her recent workout with her soldiers, she picked up her phone texting Carver back quickly, so she didn't have the time to second guess herself. Sakura walked into the spare room where she kept Kakashi's things and spent most of her time when home. She made his bed, so it didn't appear that this was where she slept when home.

She glanced in a nearby mirror on the wall, she wore her normal workout attire consisting of knee length leggings, a sports bra as well as an unzipped hoodie feeling annoyed as she looked away. Kakashi wasn't interested in her as a woman anymore, it didn't matter how she appeared, he viewed her as his student even though he had zero right too.

Sakura pulled her seal up on Carver; she opened a seal in front of him where she knew team seven was standing by to come help gather all these boxes that taunted her for months. Sakura blinked after a moment; all the morons needed to do was to step inside a circle...Sakura pulled her lips together placing her hands in her hoodies pockets as she looked around her house waiting.

"It says get in." Raiden says studying Carver's phone, Raiden tilted his head and scratched his chin. "What the fuck kind of kinky shit is she getting into-?!"

"Are you-" Carver sighed rubbing his face as Sakura's white circle glowed in front of him clear as day. "-how many times have you been hit on the head? Do I need to get you tested?"

"What?" Raiden asked looking from the phone, "Oh." He laughed seeing the floor of their apartment. Raiden carelessly tossed the phone in the air.

"Hey!" Carver said catching the phone, as Raiden hopped inside the circle.

"Let's go!" Raiden yelled at everyone. Naruto stared at the four men moving into it.

"Uh..." Maybe he could just hang here and go back to Kakashi's apartment and clean it up a little better, it was smelling like a french whore house in there. As great as it was that Ino was giving up Kakashi's apartment and he was able to take over the lease, she was not leaving it the cleanest...

"Come on!" Raiden waved to Naruto, "We need all the manpower we can get, Kakashi had a lot of shit!"

"I did not." Kakashi muttered turning to Raiden.

"I say that with love of course." Raiden grinned. Carver frowned seeing Naruto's hard face and tight fists as he moved beside him. Naruto opened his eyes once the strong force of wind broke around him, his heart instantly picking up seeing her bored face.

"Sakura!" Raiden smiled seeing her looking at them. "Took you long enough to text back!" He whined.

"I am busy." Sakura stated,

"Doing?"

"My job." Sakura replied as she turned to lead them to Kakashi's belongings, but Raiden detoured towards the kitchen causing Sakura to sigh.

"Can I bum some food!?" Raiden called already going through her cabinets.

"You just ate." Carver said leaning against the wall.

"So?" Raiden said.

"How are you still hungry?"

"Um...because my stomach wants more food?"

"I swear you're a bottomless pit." Carver shook his head turning to see Sakura watching them, "What have you been up too?" He wondered causing her to shrug.

"I don't have a lot of time." Sakura said, "Let's go." She turned walking towards the bedroom. Kakashi watched her from the back, she opened the door and watched the men look around the room.

"Eh...not as bad as I thought." Raiden laughed, Sakura turned and left the room to return to her office. Sasuke, Carver and Raiden were looking around wondering how they were going to do this in one trip. Kakashi watched Sakura leave the room and Naruto follow her.

"Sa-Sakura-" Naruto's heart was pounding, Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the blond.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You--Do you remember everything that happened when we were last here?"

"Are you talking about when you thought you could come into my village, threaten my village leader and so on so forth?" Sakura muttered going through the papers on her desk, searching for an envelope.

"You-You beat us half to death!" Naruto half yelled.

"Mhm." Sakura hummed; she could have sworn she put that damn envelope here...

"Sakura!" Naruto snapped, Sakura looked over seeing he was huffing and looked flushed.

"What?"

"What do you mean what?"

"Are you expecting an apology?" Sakura wondered, leaning against her desk.

"Um...that-that would be nice!"

"Why?"

"Wh-What do you mean why?"

"I warned you to leave."

"You warned me?" Naruto laughed shaking his head, "You-"

"Do you think I am a joke?"

"What? No!"

"Do you think the stories Carver and Raiden told you about me where just fabricated for your amusement?" Sakura asked shrugging her shoulders,

"No..."

"Then when you saw it standing in front of you-" Sakura said in a hard tone, "-when you saw the monster that Carver and Raiden are afraid of and when I warned you to leave not once, not twice but three times and when you chose to stay anyway...your welcome for not killing you."

"Sakura that wasn't-"

"That was as real as I can ever be Naruto." Sakura slightly laughed standing as she ran her hand through her hair. "It's not my fault you can't handle it and the fact you expect me to apologize well...I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you."

Naruto saw the bandage on her side from her fight against Malachite, the leader of the reapers. Naruto pulled his lips together as he looked back to her face, she was searching her desk for something.

"Hey-" Carver said walking in, Kakashi behind him. "-what are you doing?"

"Nothing..." Naruto muttered, turning around to face the wall from Carver investing gaze. Naruto never really got a chance to look around Sakura's house the last time he was here, and he never saw her office. Naruto gazed around the wall he faced ignoring the conversation as he looked at all the pictures. Naruto spotted a tray of cream-colored letters all neatly lined up. Each letter had a name written on the front, he read Dawn, Diem, Carver and Raiden. Naruto's fingers stopped seeing team seven written on one. He picked it up with a hundred questioned floating into his head.

Sakura smiled to herself finally finding the slippery bastard, she hadn't touched this thing in almost a year. Sakura turned her head, her smile dropping seeing Naruto. She moved swiftly, snatching the letter from his fingers.

"Stop touching stuff."

"What are these?" Naruto asked as Sakura pushed him out of the room.

"Not yours."

"But it had-"

"Letters." Sakura sighed.

"Can we have ours now?!" Naruto rebounded quickly from his founded fear of Sakura.

"No." Sakura answered.

"But why not!?"

"Because."

"Because why?" Naruto whined.

"Because those only get sent out if I die!" Sakura snapped; Naruto's voice was so annoying!

"O-Oh..." Naruto breathed as he was pushed out of the office into the living room. Sakura moved to Kakashi, her heart pounding so fast inside her chest as she handed him the envelope. Kakashi looked at it.

"What's that!?" Raiden called as Kakashi opened it.

"You never cashed it?" Kakashi questioned, seeing it was all the money he had in his bank account at the time of his death. The envelope held the check Sakura was cut by that annoying man in the monkey suit.

"I didn't need it." Sakura muttered, annoyed that she could feel everyone's eyes digging holes into her face! Sakura turned to look at them, Naruto and the others quickly looked away, acting as if they weren't watching their own personal live soap opera. Kakashi smiled taking this moment to take in Sakura's appearance. His exposed eye trailed along Sakura's long legs and the curves of her body, she looked nothing like he remembered her to be.

Kakashi has been told by everyone inside his village that he loved this woman before him. He was told countless stories, shown hundreds of pictures, even shown proof he proposed to her before he died but looking at her now...he felt...nothing. Kakashi had eyes, he could see Sakura was a beautiful woman but she as once his student. Even if everyone disagreed with this statement due to her rising to power from another person's training he didn't disagree like they did, Kakashi viewed this woman as his distant student and he could never date her, no matter how nice of a body she had...Carver cleared his throat, pulling Kakashi's eye off Sakura's large bust.

"Hm?" Kakashi smiled,

"I asked if you were ready?" Carver grinned.

"Of course." Kakashi agreed, having no idea what he was agreeing to. Kakashi watched from the corner of his eyes in amazement as Sakura's eyes shifted, wind collected around everyone standing in the room holding Kakashi's belongings.

"Huh?" Carver looked around seeing he was standing inside Kakashi's bedroom. Raiden spun around with his mouth open, his bed was placed where Sakura remembered it to go, as well as the other pieces of furniture. Team seven would have to manually unpack all the boxes, there was only so much Sakura could do.

"Awesome!" Raiden laughed following Sasuke and Naruto into the living room with Carver behind him. "This is so much less work-" Sakura smiled feeling a little amused by them as she mindlessly played with the bracelet on her wrist.

Sakura took a step to follow them into the living room, Kakashi's hand lightly caught her wrist. Her emerald eyes widened as her head whipped around, Kakashi looked at the bracelet on her wrist, the charm resting between his fingers.

"This is-" Kakashi muttered looking at his clans' symbol, Sakura pulled her lips together feeling her heart tighten watching disbelief fill his exposed eye. It was like this moment was making this all real for him, he was finally believing that he actually dated Sakura. She didn't need to see his face to know what he was feeling, it was written all inside his dark orb. Sakura's heart felt like it was being filled with wet cement as she reached her free hand over and unclipped the bracelet. Kakashi's exposed eye turned to gaze at her pretty face, "-are you..."

"Mhm." Sakura hummed with a nod, she spun on her heel as she moved out of his bedroom. As she walked out of the room she glazed around as a faded Kakashi playfully chasing her around his couched as she held his beloved red book hostage replayed in her head. Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat as she pulled wind around her, she didn't want to be here. This place didn't feel like home to her anymore. 

Carver turned his head, he was about to ask Sakura a question as he felt her chakra. Carver frowned seeing her hurt expression as she held her naked wrist before vanishing from the apartment. He was confused until he Kakashi walking out of his bedroom holding her bracelet. Carver sighed shaking his head, Kakashi had no idea what he had just done. 


	37. Chapter 37

Hinata walked through the leaf village as she fiddled with her hands in front of her. She was searching for Naruto and was running out of time until she had to meet at the front gates of the village. Lady Tsunade had pulled Hinata's team as well as multiple others to escort her on a mission to go meet Onoki of the Stone Village outside Leaf territory. Naruto was one of the teams to go as well as Hinata, after packing up her gear and saying goodbye to her reluctant parents who were not comfortable with Hinata being back in the field so soon after returning from being dead for a year, Hinata wanted to walk with Naruto to the front gates.

Hinata smiled to herself as she blushed, even though she couldn't remember starting her relationship with him she felt so happy. Naruto has been around her every day; he called her every morning and night. Hinata's heart was being so fast she thought it might burst when she remembered to her waking up in the hospital and Naruto sitting beside her. He appeared so happy when she opened her eyes, he engulfed her sore body in a hug and wouldn't let go even for Dr. Yu to check her vitals.

Giggling could be heard around the corner; Hinata opened her eyes as she rounded the tall wooden fence. The long-haired shinobi stopped in her tracks as her heart squeezed, she found Naruto, surrounded by a group of women their age all blushing at his handsome face and touching his muscular arms. Hinata quickly turning on her heel as she clinched her eyes shut feeling extremely foolish! Hinata ran forward, how could a man like Naruto ever look at someone so shy like—Hinata ran face first into a wall, she opened her eyes and looked up. Naruto looked down at his girlfriend with a smile, he leaned down placing a warm kiss on her lips. Hinata was stunned as her feet remained rooted in place.

"There you are!" Naruto laughed, wrapping his arm around her as he moved them towards the direction of the gates.

"H-Huh?" Hinata's face was bright red as she was still replaying his kiss in her mind.

"I was looking for you." Naruto flashed a smile, "I picked up some extra instant ichiraku ramen-" Naruto went on to explain, "-I might have gotten hungry in the middle of the night and ate most of my supply for our mission today." He laughed.

"O-Oh..." Hinata breathed staring up at his face.

"Yeah, so...are you ok?"

"Y-Yes!" Hinata quickly looked forward making Naruto grin.

"Are you ready for our mission!?" Naruto was excited to get out of the village, even if it was a boring escort missing for Granny Tsunade he had Hinata and he could protect her if needed. Naruto frowned as a dark cloud filled his chest, Hinata's dead body lying on the sidewalk was forever burnt into his memory. He got a rare second chance and he was going to make sure he didn't waste it; Naruto was determined to do everything in his power to keep Hinata safe!

"Hey Naruto!" Raiden waved as the front gates came into view.

"Hey!" Naruto waved seeing Raiden, Carver and Sasuke waiting with a large collection of people around them. The closer Naruto walked, the more he saw all his childhood friends were here today.

"This is a lot of people." Hinata muttered blushing under Carver's heavy gaze.

"Yeah..." Carver agreed, he was annoyed with Hinata's shyness. Before she died, she had gotten use to him and Raiden and now they had to start all over again. Carver looked at Hinata as a good friend was, he smiled at her he was willingly to try to be patient as she warmed up to them again.

"What this is all for anyway?" Naruto wondered looking around.

"We are renewing our treaty with them Naruto." Kakashi's voice spun Naruto around,

"Hey Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto saw Tsunade walking beside the masked man. "You're coming too!?"

"Of course." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"Yes!" Naruto laughed, "This is going to be fun!" Naruto jumped.

"This is not fun Naruto." Minato said in a fatherly voice behind him.

"Huh?" Naruto turned. "Dad?"

"This is a serious matter." Minato stood in his shinobi gear with Kushina standing beside him. Kushina couldn't help the smile on her lips as she stared at her son dressed in his shinobi gear, she felt so proud of him!

"You guys are coming too?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes." Tsunade said, "Everyone who returned from being under the Reaper's control wishes to return to the field at some point and I figured this would be a good starting point." The blonde Hokage smiled.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed, there were so many people if something was to happen everyone could have each other's backs.

"Is everyone here?" Iruka called looking around.

"Yes!" People cheered.

"Very well-" Tsunade nodded, "-let's be on our way."

The leaf shinobi walked out of the gates as villagers waved goodbye, Tsunade had not been looking forward to this. Truth be told, she couldn't stand Onoki of the Stone. Something else bothered her as well, he was very persistent that she meets him today and not in three months like they normally did every year. Tsunade sighed with the shake of her head, she didn't care. She just wanted to get this over with so she could get back and spend the evening with Dan.

Naruto yawned after a few hours of nonstop walking he was kind of bored. He was happy his parents and girlfriend were by his side and the conversation helped pass the time, but he could be doing this at ichiraku ramen.

"What is that?" TenTen's voice opened Naruto's eyes, he looked over in the bunned shinobi's direction.

"That's-" Neji cut himself off quickly pulling a kunai out of his pouch, "-That's a Stone shinobi!" Naruto as well as everyone else looked around arming themselves. Minato and Kakashi quickly flanked to Tsunade's side as they slowly moved through the forest. The more they walked, the more bodies the leaf shinobi came across.

"What happened?" Kiba breathed,

"I don't like this." Guy bit down with sharp eyes.

"We should get Lady Tsunade out of here." Iruka suggested.

"I am not going anywhere." Tsunade turned, "Stay on guard and keep an eye out for Onoki."

"If you want to survive this, then get on your knees and beg!" A dark voice laughed out.

"What-" Carver shook his head quickly moving forward pass Tsunade and the others.

"Carver-" Tsunade whispered not liking this.

"Trust us." Raiden said following Carver. Raiden ducked out peeking through thick vegetation to see a large field breaking the forest apart, bodies littered the ground.

"No..." Carver breathed. Hinata bent down touching the neck of a stone shinobi and gasped quickly standing.

"He is alive." Hinata said.

"What?" Carver turned,

"So is this one." TenTen confirmed.

"This is one too." Lee called.

"They are all alive." Raiden turned to Carver feeling very confused, but before their brains could try to come up with any reasoning to this situation two bodies dropped to the ground beside Tsunade. Kakashi and Minato reacted but Diem and Hazel reflected the whipped kunais with their own.

"What-!?" Raiden breathed.

"Who-?" Minato frowned,

"What are you doing here?" Hazel demanded to know.

"Fuck that." Diem said, "You all need to go."

"Go?" Minato shook his head, "Who are you? Are you the ones who did this to these innocent people?!"

"Innocent?" Hazel smirked, "They were striking to kill us."

"And?" Minato narrowed his eyes as Naruto moved forward to stand beside his father as thick tension begun to fill the nearby air.

"We were simply hitting to knock out." Diem crossed his arms over his chest.

"What-"

"Dad." Naruto said touching Minato's arm. "It's ok, they are our ally."

"Ally? How are they-"

"Where is she?" Naruto asked turning to Diem,

"Who?" Minato and Kakashi asked at the same time,

"He wants to know where our boss is." Diem rolled his eyes. Minato glanced over at Kakashi who held the same sharp expression as the waterfall village's third commander and highest ranked captain walked through the thick brush into the large field. Naruto followed without question and Minato did not like this.

Tsunade gasped at the sight before her; live bodies laid on the ground in defeat. Kuani and other assorted weapons punctured their bodies, but no vital organs were hit. Sakura held Onoki by the front of his jacket, beads of red blood trickled down his neck from her sharp blade resting against the soft skin.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice called out, begging her not to kill the village leader. Kakashi's muscles tightened seeing their village ally being attacked and threatened, Minato gripped his kunai feeling a fight forming in the cooling air.

"What are you doing here?" Dawn breathed shocked taking in Carver and Raiden.

"What?" Carver looked around with a light laughed, "What the fuck-" He was feeling extremely confused.

"You have picked a side?" Sakura said letting Onoki fall backwards, she used the handle of her blade to knock Onoki out. His blood shined on her blade as she faced the leaf village. Sakura's shoulders were tense as she looked from Carver to Raiden and then grazed Kakashi's masked face. Would they really volunteer to stand against her? Had living inside a village after only a simple year washed away all their loyalty to her?

"What is going-" Raiden looked around. "No-No!" He laughed, "We are not here to fight you!"

"That isn't how it looks." Hazel said raising her blade in their direction.

"Hold the fuck up!" Carver yelled holding his arms up, "What are you doing here?" Carver directed towards Sakura, "We are here for a treaty signing."

"Is that what he told you?" Diem laughed,

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head.

"You my friend-" Diem smiled in Carver's direction, "-stumbled into a war between villages."

"W-War?" Tsunade breathed searching for Kaguya. "Where is your village leader?"

"I am here." Sakura stated.

"Your-"

"Kaguya is a little..." Sakura thought for a second, thinking back to how she sealed Kaguya inside a dome as punishment for stealing her memories as well as for other things. "...tied up at the moment, I am acting as the Waterfalls leader."

"Commander Haruno." Tsunade cleared her throat. "We are not here to stand against you."

"Really?" Hazel glared into the hokage's face. "Because that isn't how it seems-"

"Hazel." Sakura stated, shutting her captain up. Hazel huffed but looked away keeping her mouth shut.

"I was under the assumption this would be a treaty signing between the Leaf and Stone, imagine my surprise seeing the Waterfall here fighting them." Tsunade said crossed her arms over her chest.

"Imagine mine-" Sakura spoke, "-seeing the village I saved walk into my battleground." Naruto looked from Tsunade and then to Sakura who she still looked like herself...she wore a mask over her face covering half it, Naruto noticed Sakura wore her familiar uniform he had grown used to seeing; black pants with leather strips wrapping around her long legs. Her pants were tucked into knee length boots, Sakura had on a black long sleeve with her combat gear, Naruto noticed something new though, on her left leg there was a harness with a dangerous looking handgun. Naruto had so many questions he wanted to sputter out, but he knew now wasn't the best time.

Tsunade's eye twitched as she felt a need to wrap her hands around Onoki's throat. How dare he lie to her and put her and her shinobi in harm's way! Onoki knew he and his village was going to war with the waterfall village today, no village wanted any part of stepping against Sakura and her army so in order to get the leaf village in the right place at the wrong time Onoki lied to Tsunade. If Sakura didn't kill him Tsunade would!

"Is he-" Naruto asked seeing Onoki laying on the ground.

"Knocked out." Raiden breathed seeing Onoki's chest slowly rise and fall showing signs of breathing which sadly meant the annoying little man was still alive. Tsunade sighed in relief feeling a shinobi war and people picking sides fade away into the distance. Tsunade snapped her eyes open and looked at her feet, Sakura's seal was reflecting beneath them.

"Commander?" Hazel called seeing Sakura's seal was under the waterfall soldier's feet as well. Sakura didn't respond to them; she just sent her soldiers as well as her commanders' home since they were no longer needed here.

"We need to talk." Sakura glared towards Tsunade, the amber eyed hokage gulped feeling like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar before dinner. Sakura vanished from sight; Minato search the grounds for pink hair. Sakura meant to reappear beside Tsunade dropping inside their seal so she will be transferred to the leaf village with them.

Sakura quickly grabbed a kunai from her leg and clashed blades, the clank of metal rang inside Naruto's ears as he flipped around. His mouth dropped watching his sensei lock blades with Sakura,

"Ka-Kakashi!?" Naruto breathed as wind pulled around them, "What are you doing!?"

"You do not randomly appear next to our Hokage!" Minato answered as neither Kakashi nor Sakura backed down, in Sakura's defense she was too busy using her seal to give the leaf shinobi and herself a free ride.

"Dad, Sakura is-" Naruto went to defend Sakura as the wind broke around revealing the front of the leaf village.

"She is the Commander of a different village." Minato lectured his son, looking into his large blue eyes. "She may be your friend, but-" Kakashi watched Sakura's eyes shifted into her emerald orbs as her mind was pulled into the situation around her. He narrowed his eyes onto her, had she not even been paying attention to what had been going on around her? She lowered her kunai and looked around, Sakura used a great deal of chakra today, but she wasn't going to show it to these people, she wasn't feeling very safe and at home here.

Sakura's face crunched tasting iron in her mouth. Sakura ignored Naruto bickering with his father as she collected it together, pulling the mask down her face letting it rest around her neck she turned her head spitting bright blood into the grass, running her tongue over her teeth as Sakura turned to look at Tsunade who appeared concerned.

"A word." Sakura stated.

"Lady Tsunade-" Minato stated, he didn't trust Sakura. Something about her made him feel uneasy. Sakura looked at Naruto's father, it wasn't like she was the one who freed him from being used as a human puppet or anything. Killing Minato and his wife would have made going after malachite so much easier, she may have even been able to catch him this time but instead Sakura took Naruto's feeling into account and this was the thanks she got.

Fanfuckingtastic.

"If you want to cry you can come." Sakura's voice was flat as she turned to Naruto's father. Sakura was tired from having to hold back once again, it would have been easier to just kill the stone shinobi, but she didn't. She fought them and now she was here being stared at as if she was standing on trial. Tsunade nodded at Sakura,

"Let's go." Tsunade said noticing the bags under Sakura's eyes, Tsunade wondered what she had been up to while not here. When she was with Kakashi Sakura would stop by frequently and at least then Tsunade knew Sakura was resting and eating well but now not even Carver and Raiden knew what she was doing, and that upset Tsunade deeply.

"No." Sakura said looking at Sasuke who started to follow.

"But-" Sasuke said watching his team follow Tsunade and Sakura to the Hokage Tower with Minato, Kushina and Kakashi behind them.

"Sorry man." Carver shrugged patting the raven-haired shinobi's forearm.

"But-" Sasuke repeated.

"She said no." Raiden whispered.

\----

Tsunade sat behind her desk, Raiden closed the office door as Sakura rubbed her shoulder sitting in a chair feeling her body ache. Kakashi stood beside Minato and Kushina against the wall. Naruto looked between his parents and Sakura not knowing who to sit beside.

"So-" Tsunade started the conversation, "-you said you needed to speak to me Sakura?"

"Yeah." Sakura breathed looking up from the floor as her back throbbed.

"And?" Minato sounded annoyed; Sakura's lips curved seeing how she got under Minato's skin without even trying; it amused her.

"You're looking for a way to seal Kaguya away." Sakura broke the ice looking at Tsunade, who looked like someone just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

"Wh-What?" Tsunade laughed.

"Granny?" Naruto slowly muttered,

"I am not-"

"I'm not in the mood-" Sakura raised her voice leaning back in the chair. "-I know you're looking for a way Tsunade-"

"Watch it Commander." Kakashi spoke hearing the missing title from Tsunade's name causing shock to spread through the room, Sakura slowly turn her head to look at the masked shinobi.

"Something you care to share with the class Kakashi?" Sakura questioned.

"Sensei." Kakashi added his title.

"Ha." Sakura laughed, "Yeah no." She shook her head. "Not a fucking chance."

"Watch your mouth!" Minato snapped, he hated disrespectful language in front of his beloved wife and child.

"The only damn thing I need to watch is how far I am going to throw you out that window if you speak to me like that one more fucking time." Sakura flashed a smile.

"Sakura-" Naruto stepped forward with a deep frown on his face as his heart fluttered, he didn't like his parent who he just got back fighting with his best friend.

"It seems you still need to learn how to control your temper." Kakashi sighed with a shake of his head, Sakura narrowed her eyes onto his masked face as Kakashi held a disappointed look in his exposed eye.

"That was not me losing my temper." Sakura glared into him. "Trust me, when I do, you'll know."

"Sakura-"

"Commander." Sakura corrected Kakashi. "Unlike you I earned my title."

"We are getting off track!" Carver stepped in the middle of Minato, Kakashi and Sakura.

"Your right." Sakura nodded standing from the chair, "Tsunade stop the fucking search for a way to seal Kaguya."

"She isn't searching for a-!"

"I am." Tsunade sighed cutting Minato off.

"What!?" Minato breathed turning to Tsunade.

"After team seven returned without Carver and after what Kaguya did to Sakura I was...I was worried for the leaf village so a small group I handpicked began researching."

"End it." Sakura demanded.

"You can't come in here-" Kushina stepped forward. "-demanding things like you live here."

"I can." Sakura said, Minato opened his mouth to interject. "-And I'll tell you why." Sakura didn't give him a chance to speak. "Your searching for a way to reseal the leader of my village of which I am the Commander of, when this gets out and please trust me when I tell you shit always finds a way to hit the fan this will be the ammunition Kaguya needs to start the next shinobi world war."

"That is a bit dramatic!" Kushina laughed.

"Is it?" Sakura asked,

"Um...yes?" Kushina turned from looking at Sakura to her husband with a questionable look plastered on her face.

"Why wasn't Kaguya on that battleground?" Tsunade wondered out of the blue,

"Because-" Sakura sighed moving to sit back down feeling the lack of chakra starting to hit her.

"Are you ok!?" Naruto moved to sit beside the friend he hasn't seen in weeks.

"-I locked her inside a dome." Sakura answered ignoring Naruto's concern.

"Why?" Minato frowned, the entitlement on this woman! It almost sickened Minato! A Commander having the audacity to take it upon herself to lock her own village leader away!? "Why on earth would you-"

"Because Kaguya wanted to burn the Stone Village to the ground." Sakura snapped turning to the blond man. "She wanted me to march on the field today and slaughter all of those people."

"Why didn't you?" Kushina questioned.

Sakura looked at Minato in the eye as she spoke, "I am not a mindless machine that only follows orders, I wouldn't be much of a Commander if I did. Even though it would have made my life ten times easier, those Stone shinobi didn't deserve to die because they had a moron as a leader."

"You ordered your soldiers to not strike to kill." Carver mimicked Kakashi by shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why?"

"I understand you wanting to protect your village." Sakura countered turning to Tsunade. "But stop this research, I don't care how small the group you handpicked is, disband it. People talk, no matter how much they promise they won't shit always gets out and this is one thing I cannot risk getting out and getting to Kaguya."

"You think she will go nuts and try to find the answer first?" Raiden asked,

"I know she will." Sakura said, "She will track it down and eliminate it too."

"Sakura-" Tsunade sighed.

"So, there is a way...?" Carver muttered.

"I am the seal." Sakura cut Tsunade off, Naruto blinked as Carver tilted his head as he relayed this information.

"Wha-Huh?" Raiden blinked.

"I know your smarter than that." Sakura half teased turning to look at him.

"Well I know what you fucking said!" Raiden shouted. "What do you mean!?"

"I am the-"

"We heard that!" Naruto joined in.

"We mean...what!?" Raiden moved to sit beside Naruto in the same chair as he stared at Sakura who sighed feeling annoyed.

"I am Kaguya's seal. I don't know what else you guys need to know, just shut up about it and-"

"Whoa-Whoa-Whoa." Carver waved his hands. "We have been teammates for years."

"Yeah?" Sakura nodded.

"We have been through hell together!"

"Yes." Sakura nodded.

"What the fuck?"

"Huh?" Sakura tilted her head, Kakashi smirked under his mask thinking the way she did that was oddly adorable.

"What the fuck Haruno!?" Carver belched, "We have been on hundreds of missions, walked thousands of miles together, sat around millions of campfires and you never thought once, it never sputtered across your mind to look up and go 'by the way I'm Kaguya's seal' not fucking once!?"

"Nope." Sakura said.

"I hate you." Carver pointed at her.

"How does that work?" Tsunade wondered, "From when you just returned to the leaf village, you almost died like twice what would then happen...?"

"Well..." Sakura sighed. "If Kaguya steps out of line again then I will seal her away and yes it will kill me." Team seven looked around at each other not liking this new information. "If I die in battle, then my soul is tethered to Kaguya until she needs to be sealed away. But as all things in this world there is a loophole, if Kaguya is the one to kill me and I died by her hand then the seal is broken and there's no chance to lock her away." Sakura fought back a yawn, "So the importance that this does not get out and into the grape vine is important."

"I don't even care about that!" Raiden yelled, "I am still mad you didn't tell us about being the fucking seal!"

"It's not a big deal." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"It is so!"

"Not really."

"How isn't it?!"

"I never told you I was a jinchuriki and you have been perfectly fine-"

"Um-" Carver stepped in. "What." He stated.

"You're a jinchuriki?!" Naruto jumped up.

"Yup." Sakura popped the 'P' as she turned to Minato.

"What-How-Why-" Naruto ranted off as Sakura glanced at her phone seeing she was running low on time.

"When the tailed beasts being created, the uh nine-tails was still to strong and so it was split in half creating sort of like a sister which is why you-" Sakura pointed to Minato, "-is why you don't like me very much." This is also the reason Sakura believed she felt so attached and protective over Naruto.

"Why haven't you told any of this!?" Raiden shouted, Tsunade held the side of her head as her eardrums rang like a church bell at high noon.

"It wasn't important-" Sakura went to say,

"The fuck it isn't!" Naruto and Raiden were ganged up on her glaring at her, she had to admit she had missed their annoying faces. Sakura sighed as she looked around the room.

"I thought she was your comrade?" Minato asked Carver and Raiden with a shake of his head.

"She was..." Raiden muttered.

"It seems like you know nothing about her."

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Sakura snapped, "What do you know about your son?"

"My wife and I died in order to protect this village and him, what is your excuse for your terrible leadership?" Minato shot back.

"Minato is right." Tsuande agreed, "You are very within drawn Sakura."

"In case you have forgotten-" Sakura turned towards Tsunade maybe it was the lack of sleep or lack of chakra, or maybe it was the simple fact her dead boyfriend was staring at her but couldn't remember her, Sakura snapped. "-I have been here defending your village and not inside my own for free. I placed my best trainers here to retrain your shinobi while the other villages had to pay for those services. Perhaps Carver-" Sakura said turning to glanced at his shocked face. "-you were right, I have been shielding this village too much."

"Uh..." Carver trailed off not wanting to step in the middle of this.

"And-" Sakura turned to Minato. "- as rough as my village is, I still don't make it a habit of throwing my fifteen-year old shinobi out on the streets to fend for themselves."

"What does that-?" Minato rolled his eyes as Sakura moved to leave the office, tired of dealing with the overly emotional leaf shinobi.

"Granny Tsunade-" Naruto sighed. "-she...she kicked Sakura out of the village when Sakura unlocked her seal."

"Huh?" Minato looked at his son filling with disbelief.

"Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi asked never removing his eye from Sakura's painted face as he stepped in front of her, stopping her from leaving. "Is everything Naruto telling us true?"

"Yes." Tsunade felt ashamed of herself feeling the eyes of everyone inside the room.

Kakashi's eye widened as he stared at the blonde Hokage he scrambled through his memories, but they were still a little blurry and it hurt his head to try and recall to far back. He remembers the blurry day Sakura went missing, he recalled all the search teams that were sent out for her. Kakashi remembered the day Tsunade declared her fallen and how devastated Naruto was.

"Did I know?" Kakashi asked stepping forward, he couldn't remember if he knew about this.

"No." Tsunade answered coated in salt. "I stopped Sakura the night I banished her, before she could tell you anything."

Kakashi understood now, the distant anger that filled her eyes as she looked around the leaf village and all its people, he understood her a little better. Sakura's eyes widened as he stepped into her personal bubble, wrapping his strong arms around her tight muscles and pulled her against him. Even though this wasn't her version of Kakashi it was still his body, against his grasp her eyes slowly closed feeling the familiar warmth and smell of him.

"How could you Tsunade!?" Kushina shook her head, "Where is Kizashi and Mebuki?"

"Who?" Raiden muttered,

"Sakura's parents died mom..." Naruto muttered, Raiden's mouthed formed an 'O' as he turned to Sakura, she was too busy enjoying Kakashi's embrace to care about what was going on around her. Sakura so rarely talked about her parents; Raiden didn't even know their names.

"They..." Kushina breathed remembering the brightly couple.

"They left the village a year after Sakura." Naruto went on, "They moved to the Grass Village and died in a raid led by the Reapers..."

"Oh..." Kushina breathed covering her mouth as she looked over at Sakura, her eyes filled with tears as she couldn't believe how much heartache that young girl as had to endure in her short life span.

"Tsunade." Minato shook his head. "How disgraceful, how could you ever do that to one of our own!? If this ever gets out into the village-"

"It already did." Tsunade cut in. "And I will answer for my sins when it is my time."

Sakura was oblivious to the words being shared all around her as Kakashi's arms held her. It has been a long time since she felt him hold her like this, she had forgotten how good his hugs were. It almost felt like she molded against him, a perfect fit. Sakura looked up from laying her head on his shoulder to gaze upon his masked face, an outline of a smile could be seen.

Kakashi reached over, brushing over her soft juicy bottom lip with his thumb. Thinking about all the pain she was dragged through over the years without him to guide her; it felt like needles inside his chest. But as he stood with her here now, inside this loud room he was here. He felt an overwhelming urge pushing him to protect her, keep her well fed and warm...Kakashi didn't understand where these thoughts were coming from and what confused him more was the question if he wanted to fight these demanding impulses to lean down and feel those full pink lips against his.

Raiden and Carver corner of the room in silence; Carver felt a headache forming as he watched Tsunade fighting with Naruto and his parents. Raiden was sipping on a fruit punch flavored juice box tuning into the latest episode of the Haruno love trials.

"Look at her!" Minato's voice broke through the thin bubble wrapped around Kakashi and Sakura, the pinkette blinked hearing the voices behind her. "She is a freaking shell of a person!"

"Huh?" Sakura turned around,

"We can fix her." Tsunade waved off looking bored.

"What are you-" Sakura started.

"They are talking about you." Carver informed her, kicking himself off the wall and moved towards her.

"Me?" Sakura said.

"Yup." Carver said uncrossing his arms. "Minato believes you belong inside the leaf village since you were born here and Kushina agrees since she was friends with your mother and doesn't agree with what Tsaunde did to you."

"They are just talking like I am not here?" Sakura wondered.

"Pretty much." Carver nodded.

"Ah." Sakura shook her head turning over to watch Naruto's father. So, he wanted her to remain inside the leaf village...why? Minato was a smart man, the leaf village already had Sakura's protection, so it couldn't be for that reason. Could it be for the village's legacy? Did they want Sakura's powerful name to be added to the mix?

"Tsunade-" Minato started.

"Kind of rude to speak about someone when they are standing right behind you." Sakura turned her body to face the two-leaf village Hokages but remained standing close to Kakashi by habit.

"Sakura-"

"No." Sakura cut in. "I don't like being talked about like I am not here."

"Your right, we should have included you." Kushina said.

"What exactly are you all muttering about in your little corner?" Sakura questioned.

"Well..." Tsunade muttered,

"We..." Kushina stepped up, "...thought it would be nice if you invited you back into the village properly."

"Huh?" Sakura and Raiden together, Kakashi chuckled behind her. Sakura's heart fluttered she could feel his check on her back. Kakashi liked the thought of Sakura being home.

"Well Sakura when you returned to the village after Tsunade so direfully banished you, she never properly invited you home." Kushina smiled, Naruto looked from his mother and then to Sakura, he didn't have a good feeling about how this was going to end. Sakura looked from the three adults standing in front of her. Carver took a step back knowing shit was about to hit the fan, he was probably going to need an umbrella from the glowing look forming in her eyes.

"What the fuck are you saying to me?" Sakura laughed.

"We want you to stay here!" Kushina beamed, Sakura turned to look at Carver and Raiden who quickly avoided her gaze.

"Are you...have you..." Sakura was dumbfounded. "Are you fucking stupid?" She laughed again.

"Sakura." Naruto stepped in.

"I'm sorry-" Sakura waved to Naruto, "-but that was the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time."

"What?" Kushina slowly asked.

"We are inviting you back home-"

"Yeah I got that." Sakura cut Minato off. "I don't need an invitation."

"Really?" Naruto perked up at the thought of Sakura moving back home.

"Yeah..." Sakura said, "I am the Commander of another village, I am not moving here."

"Sakura." Kakashi touched her arm she closed her eyes for a moment, that wasn't fair. "Please, consider this."

"I have." Sakura answered honestly.

"Wait-" Raiden turned, "-are you—what else haven't you told us!?"

"I made vows to the Waterfall Village when I accepted their Commander title." Sakura looked into Kakashi's eye.

"Those people are monsters!" Tsunade chipped in, "They are killers! They attack you every chance they get for your job-!"

"What are you?" Sakura cut her off. "You threw me into the dark and slammed the door shut, you turned your back on me, not the other way around. If you don't like what crawled out of the dark then that is your problem, don't look at me to apologize for what I have become. I like who I am and as for my soldiers they are no better than I am. I trained them; I broke them apart if I turned my back on them after turning them into what they are and lived here then what kind of person would that make me?"

"Sakura you are-" Tsunade shook her head.

"If you want to look at me like I am broken than fine." Sakura said. "Go for it but don't underestimate me, look at me like a used-up bullet casing as in the aftermath of something lethal." A spark ignited inside Kakashi; he took in a few deep breaths trying to steady himself as he watched Sakura pull up her mask.

"Where are you going?" Carver asked, "Even Naruto can tell you have used up way too much chakra, you need rest and you can't do that inside the Waterfall Village." Naruto glanced over, having not realized this but decided to play along anyway.

"Why don't you stay here tonight and get some rest?" Naruto smiled at her,

"Yeah!" Raiden agreed, he missed hanging out with Sakura. Kakashi reached out, his hands trailed along her arms sending shiver through her body as he stopped at her wrists.

"Your still recovering correct?" Kakashi questioned as his eye trailed down her chest onto her toned stomach where he knew she was stabbed by the leader of the reapers, he was questioning how he could get her to stay home.

"Can't." Was all Sakura said before taking a step back "There's no rest for the wicked." Sakura smirked at Raiden and Naruto's annoyed faces.

"Sakura! You need to rest!"

"You need to get a few extra laps in." Sakura said nodding down towards Raiden's body, even though she was joking he quickly jumped covering as much as he could with his arms.

"It-It's just water weight!"

"Where are you going!?" Tsunade called over the growing wind that spun around Sakura, she turned to look into the Hokages wide eyes.

"To raise hell." Sakura vanished into a cold dome of wind, leaving papers all over Tsunade's office floor. Carver sighed, knowing Sakura was tired and running herself into the ground, she needed a break before she burnt herself out and she needed one soon...he turned to Raiden who looked just as concerned.

\----

Karui yawned walking into the café finally getting back from traveling between towns. In the past year Karui had set up shop inside the leaf village and started to date Choji. Karui had been gone for a few weeks and was excited to be home and ready to have a nice relaxing—everyone inside the café looked pissed off.

"Hey." Karui waved moving to the couch where Naruto and everyone else sat, "Did the treaty signing go over well?"

"Well..." Neji sighed shaking his head.

"No!" TenTen shot. "It did not!"

"Oh?" Karui laughed, "Why am I not surprised, you guys always-"

"Oh, it wasn't us!" TenTen crossed her arms over her chest.

"Huh?" Karui tilted her head, scanning over the room seeing most of her friends looked annoyed. Most of the well-known sensei's such as Kakashi, Iruka, Asuma, and Guy were all talking about something in a hushed tone while sitting up at the bar rail. "What happened-?"

"Commander Haruno!" TenTen spat out the name. "That is what happened!"

"Erm...I am confused."

"She was there when we got there! She was attacking those poor people and-"

"In her defense, she wasn't killing them." Lee spoke up. "And the Stone Village started it-"

"I don't care Lee!" TenTen snapped.

"What?" Karui laughed as she gazed around seeing all the upset faces. "Your joking, right?"

"No! Commander Haruno is a monster!"

"First off-" Karui scoffed, "-we call her Sakura. Second, she is not a monster!"

"She is! If you were there, then you would know what I am talking about!" TenTen sighed. Karui turned to Naruto who remained silent spacing off, with an annoying growl she got up.

"Karui?" Choji called watching Karui fly to her feet in anger, she growled the entire way as she walked to the projector sitting at the corner of the café and started playing with the wires. Choji watched her feeling confused. Once Karui hooked her cell phone up to it she turned the lights off cutting most of the conversations off in the room and pulled down the old white screen against the wall.

"Everyone shut up!" Karui snapped clicking play on her phone, a video opened first nothing, but soft dirt could be seen.

"Oh yay..." Sasuke muttered. "Gardening." Earning a light chuckle from Ino.

"I said shut up!" Karui snapped again

A flash of Kauri's face popped onto the wall, Choji smiled seeing her pretty face. Karui quickly dove as an explosion went off in the background. Everyone inside the building frowned not understanding until voice played through the speakers of the café.

"You always have to be the hero." Carver tensed knowing the sinister voice to belong to Malachite, the video showed Sakura fighting the leader of the Reapers.

"I'm not the hero in this story." Sakura said kicking him in the chest, sending malachite flying backward, Kakashi turned hearing her voice.

"Yes-" Malachite chuckled quickly recovering from the blow, "-something as broken and twisted as you could never be cherished and beloved by a village such as this one. The Leaf are too perky and colorful; they could never accept you for what you truly are." Naruto looked to his lap, feeling guilty for expecting an apology, Naruto realized he didn't want her to apologize for her attacking team seven while they were inside her village, he wanted Sakura to apologize for being who she was...how could he have looked her in the eye and ask her to be ashamed of what she had become after being banished into the dark?

"You talk like I am ashamed of what I am." Sakura said as the two circled each other like two starved wild animals, both staring at their next meal.

"Are you not?" Malachite wondered with the tilt of his head, "Think about it, you have been here during all my attacks on this village. Clearly you have been trying to playhouse with these leaf shinobi."

"Or I have been waiting for you." Naruto watched Sakura counter.

"No, you don't have the patients to wait around like that."

"But I do for playhouse?" Sakura questioned with a dark smirk on her face.

"Hm." Malachite hummed feeling the defeat inside the conversation. "Why have you been here?"

"It's so simple." Sakura taunted, "You're overthinking it."

"Oh?"

"Yup."

"Then put me out of my misery Reaper and tell me."

"Oh-" Sakura laughed; "-You won't be that lucky."

"Is that so?" Malachite hummed.

"When I get my hands on you, and yes I say the word when..." Sakura breathed looking so pleased for a moment as she smiled at Malachite. "...I am going to slice your flesh nice and slow off your bones and let you feel every cell cry in agony as your blood drains from your body and you feel nauseous as your stomach rolls in your torso because this is a sign of blood loss."

"Is that so?" Malachite muttered.

"It is I know it very well." Sakura smiled, "But I won't be stopping there."

"Oh, I hope not that would just be a tease then." Malachite said as he ran forward at Sakura.

"No, as I slice open your sciatic nerve and play twister with it, I am going to open your chest and remove your breathing lungs-" TenTen tossed her pizza on the coffee table officially done with eating for the day. "-I am going to hold your still beating heart as I shred it to pieces. I hope you find your peace and your God gives you mercy because I sure as hell won't."

"Damn." Raiden breathed shifting in his seat feeling goosebumps on his arms.

"Tell me something Reaper before we get to the foreplay, who is the copy ninja to you? You had the most aesthetically pleasing face I had ever seen when I bought out my newest new." Malachite wondered.

"He was my fiancé." Sakura's voice shocked Kakashi even though he knew about their relationship, hearing the words in her voice still sent shivers through him as he stared at the video. "Your fourth in command killed him before I killed her."

"That must have pained you..." A sickly smile crossed his face, "...to watch the man you love die right before your eyes." Malachite appeared as if he was getting pleasure from Sakura's pain.

"Losing him-" Sakura's smile sent deadly chills through the leaf shinobi, "-will be nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."

"Do you have any last words before I end your life here today?" Malachite called tired of conversation, he wanted to feel his blade slicing her soft looking skin and paint her beloved village with her blood!

"Oh really?" Sakura laughed, "You really think that's how I am going to let this end?"

"You won't have a choice."

"Well alright then." Sakura chuckled looking amused,

"Well Reaper?" Malachite wondered, "Anything to say?"

"Yeah." Sakura smiled looking up, "By some thin chance you get away today, spread the word, this village is off limits-" Everyone sitting into the room of the café was taken back and didn't know what to feel, no one was expecting to hear these words from this person. "I don't give a fuck if you attack any other village and slaughter everyone inside it, no one touches this village."

The video ended leaving the room dark as everyone remained silent. Karui stood from sitting next to Choji and went to get her phone.

"Sakura may not hold the Leaf Villages symbol, but she still fights for this village as well as every other village that needs her help. That is one of the things that makes her so special, she risks her life for people she doesn't even know. The video ended because I jumped out into the open after Sakura was stabbed by the leader of the Reapers, that was who she was fighting. There is no doubt in my mind she allowed that man to hurt her in order to free the shinobi who were under his control."

"So..." Raiden looked up from eating TenTen's discarded pizza. "You hid in a bush and just recorded the whole thing without helping?"

"Shut up!"

"I am just trying to get the full picture here!" Raiden defended himself.

"Sakura is not a monster-" Karui said looking directly at TenTen, "-Sakura is many things, but a monster or evil do not match her in the slightest. Sakura is cold and a little crass at times but under her commander title she is the best person I know, and I thought you all were starting to see that. Hinata and TenTen you two were the closest to her-"

"What-Huh?!" TenTen sat up.

"It's true." Raiden muttered.

"No way!"

"Yeah." Naruto yawned.

"Since when?!" TenTen blushed as two blaring emerald eyes filled TenTen's mind, she shivered as a result leaving her feeling emotionally confused.

"Since before you died!" Raiden laughed, "Duh."

"We-Well when will she be back!?" TenTen blushed, Kakashi turned around to face the beer placed in front of him by Tamaki.

"Don't know." Carver shrugged off TenTen's question.

"What do you mean you don't know?" TenTen whined making Neji smile at that sound, he found himself missing in the past year.

"We don't work for her anymore." Raiden reminded,

"But your still like friends...right?"

"Well yeah." Raiden sighed, "But Sakura is a busy person and doesn't have a lot of free time."

"So...you have no idea when she will be back." TenTen pouted, looking adorable to Neji but annoying to Carver. "What is her number!? I will call and text her until-"

"Good luck." Naruto muttered, "We do that all the time and it doesn't work."

"I can still try!" TenTen said coping the number off Naruto's phone.

"What are you saying to her?" Naruto wondered.

"I am inviting her to the big bonfire this weekend." TenTen informed.

"Yeah..." Carver laughed, "I wouldn't hold my breath for her to respond to something like that."

"And why not?" TenTen asked putting her hand on her hip.

"Well...bonfires are not really her thing." Raiden muttered.

"What is her thing?" TenTen questioned.

"Mmm...war?" Raiden scrunched his face. "Or training..."

"Really." TenTen glared,

"She is the Commander of a large village, and she has taken it upon herself to take lead in going after the Reapers she doesn't really get the luxury of getting to have a thing." Carver explained to the group around him.

"That sounds like a terrible life." TenTen frowned.

"It is." Raiden agreed. "Carver and I did it with her for years." Kakashi looked into the tall glass before him as a sting entered his heart. He didn't want to know that now all he could think about were ways to rescue her from this life she had been thrown into but, the thing was she wasn't thrown into it.

From the stories he was told about the Reaper of Reapers, she built the waterfall village into what it is. He got the feeling as well Sakura wasn't the type to allow herself to be rescued either. He got up after tossing cash on the bar beside his untouched beer. Kakashi waved at Guy who called out confused, where was he going so early?

What confused Kakashi even more was why did he care so deeply? When Sasuke took off yes it annoyed him, but he still lived his life. The fact Sakura was outside the village leading the army and wearing another villages symbol sickened him. He wanted her home; these things he felt, were these the emotions he possessed before he was killed?

Was Kakashi beginning to remember the missing time gap after returning from the dead and being under the reapers control? Would he would remember dating his own student and if so...did he even want too? 


	38. Chapter 38

Sakura masked her yawn as her eyes watered, they ached from overuse as she blinked a few times staring at her laptop trying to force her eyes to focus on the dimly lit screen. Dawn peeked over to check on her commander who had been working around the clock.

While Sakura was with Kakashi in her free time she would be inside the leaf village but now that he didn't want to be with her Sakura was home more, Dawn enjoyed having Sakura around the waterfall village but was becoming worried about her health.

"Sakura?" Dawn questioned pulling Sakura's gaze off the charts on the laptop and onto the brunette. "You haven't checked in on Carver and Raiden's training sessions in a while, shouldn't you go see if they are not slacking off?"

"Oh, I am sure they are slacking off." Sakura said leaning back in her chair. "But Carver and Raiden no longer work for me, they belong to the Leaf Village if they chose to continue their training sessions that has nothing to do with me now."

"Oh..." Dawn muttered looking to her feet.

"I haven't checked on the other villages though that, I probably should do soon." Sakura sighed at the long list of things she needed to do; the pinkette moved her head to gaze at her second commander who was looking at her shoes disappointed. "Are you missing when those two would run around the village stirring up trouble?" Sakura teased; Dawn blushed as she shot up.

"N-No!" Dawn shook her head. "How could I miss those annoying little splooges-!?" Sakura smiled leaning on her arm as Dawn got ruffled up, the waterfall village did feel quiet without Carver and Raiden here. Dawn and Diem in their own ways were close to the two men, they would hang out when they swung by after completing a mission.

Sakura turned her eyes as Diem walked in, he tilted his head seeing Dawn was ranting mostly herself about not missing anyone, she didn't care that Raiden and Carver took off leaving them in the dust to retire inside a different freaking village!

"What did you do to break her?" Diem asked Sakura.

"Why is it always me?" Sakura leaned back in her office chair as Diem chuckled, "What's up?"

"Do you remember our fun-loving snitch inside the Reapers?"

"The one who gave us half ass information!?" Dawn growled.

"That would be the one." Diem nodded.

"What did he do now?" Sakura sighed.

"He knew you weren't too pleased with him when the whole memory issue with the shinobis who came back from the dead occurred so he sent you a present to try and get back in your good graces."

"Oh?" Sakura's interest perked. "I like presents."

"I know." Diem smiled, "That is why I knew you would be happy to hear it turns out, the Reapers sent a spy into the Leaf Village and it was able infiltrate successfully."

"Who?" Dawn wondered; Diem shrugged.

"Don't know-" Diem said, "-from what our snitch said the Reapers used something like the mind transfer jutsu, when the user transfers their consciousness into the target's body, giving them complete control of that person."

"What's different?" Sakura asked stretching her arms above her head.

"Whoever they used-" Diem said, "-is dead, this technique kills the person the jutsu is being used on."

"Fantastic." Dawn sighed.

"The user is projecting his consciousness into that body it's, basically a puppet at this point." Diem finished crossing his arms over his firm chest.

"I see..." Sakura breathed licking her lips, she really didn't want to go to the leaf village and risk running into Kakashi or Naruto or really anyone for that matter. TenTen had blown up her phone with text messages for some bonfire going on tonight, she didn't really pay much attention since it wasn't like she was going to go to it.

"They also-" Diem yawned, "-have a small camp set up a few miles from the village."

"A camp?" Dawn frowned.

"The reaper projecting his body would have to stash his body somewhere." Sakura muttered out loud, "How many Reaper's are inside this camp?"

"No idea." Diem answered as Dawn stepped forward.

"Diem and I can go." Dawn offered,

"Oh, I believe you would." Sakura smiled, "You miss-"

"I do not!" Dawn blushed with a stomp of her foot.

"What's going on?" Diem wondered.

"Nothing." Sakura said closing her laptop. "Let's go."

"Huh?" Diem blinked. "Go?" It was rare Sakura removed her commanders from the village unless it meant going to a battle beside her.

"All three of us?" Dawn questioned.

"Unless you want to stay home from the field trip?" Sakura smirked at her commanders who gave her an annoyed stare causing her to laugh. "Diem go find Hazel and her team she will be coming too."

"Hazel?" Dawn muttered once Diem was out of the room, "Why would we need her?"

"Rather have her and not need her than need her and not have her." Sakura taught Dawn a lesson in preparedness. "We don't know what we are going to be walking into, Hazel and her team will be on standby near the leaf village just in case."

"On standby because...?"

"Because she and the Leaf shinobi don't get along very well." Sakura explained, "Pack your gear, we leave in a half hour."

"Yes Commander." Dawn nodded before exiting the room. Sakura turned and looked out her office window. She did not want to go back to the leaf village, Naruto's terrified expression when he saw who she truly was still lingered around in her head. That side of her, the pieces that wanted to crawl into the leaf village and dice up those shinobi were still inside her, she just had locked them away inside a tiny box and threw them into the deepest and darkest parts of her mind and she ignored them the best she could.

Pulling in a deep breath Sakura stood up from her chair and went to collect her gear, the plan was to get in and out without the leaf shinobi even noticing they were inside their village. That wouldn't have been so difficult if she hadn't sent Carver and Raiden to train them.

The three commanders of the waterfall village dropped into the leaf village inside a breeze of silent wind. Sakura opened her eyes looking around at the sunset soaking the sky, Hazel and her team were miles away begging to hear her call.

"Where is everyone?" Diem muttered seeing the empty sidewalks.

"It's dinner time." Dawn answered, Sakura walked forward running her hand through her long hair.

"Alright, Dawn-" Sakura said turning around. "-go search for the spy while Diem and I head into the forest and track down the camp of Reapers and take them out."

"Wh-Why do I have to-"

"Because I said?" Sakura shrugged, hoping this wouldn't take longer than an hour to complete. If Sakura truly was a bitch, she would drag the spy to Minato and Tsunade's doorstep and drop it off for them gift wrapped but that would be too much work.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to find the spy?" Dawn countered but Sakura shrugged.

"What if I wasn't here?" She asked, "What would you do?"

"But you are here!"

"You'll be fine." Sakura smiled.

"I really don't like you sometimes." Dawn muttered walking away.

"That's ok!" Sakura called with a wave. "I don't like me most times either."

"Why don't you go and-" Diem cut himself off seeing an annoyed look from Sakura, "-got it boss!" He said with a nod. "Searching for the Reapers in the forest is our job! Let's get in and out of this place with little fuss!"

\----

Dawn grumped to herself as she walked through the leaf village with her arms crossed over her chest tightly. She was extremely agitated why couldn't Diem do the workout chasing after the spy, after all he was the third commander and fell below Dawn! She sighed annoyed with her petty jealousy; she was just annoyed Diem got to spend time alone with Sakura.

The second commander of the waterfall village knew Sakura was just doing her job, if she didn't check up on her and Diem what kind of commander would that make her? Sakura always made sure Dawn and Diem were always up to speed and never slacked off.

Dawn quickened her pace having found the wolf walking around in sheep's clothing. She spun through the air pulling her blade as she jumped into sight from the tree line. Dawn stood face to face with a young-looking kid, no older than Annistyn. Dawn cursed under her breath, of course those sick bastards would target a child! The young boy looked at Dawn with large brown eyes,

"Ca-Can I help you Miss?" He shivered looking at Dawn's sword,

"Your disgraceful using a child's body as a puppet!" Dawn glared into the eyes of the dead boy.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" The boy backed away from Dawn as she gripped her sword pulling it back, "No! Please I beg of you!" Tears filled his large eyes as he dropped to the ground, "Help me!" He cried, Dawn flinched. Could she have been wrong? If this child was the Reaper, then wouldn't he fight back from his puppet being killed off?

"What is the meaning of this?!" A strong voice echoed through the night; Dawn glanced over her shoulder. She knew Tsunade and who the masked man beside her was. Fuck! Sakura was going to kill her.

"Dawn?!" Raiden's voice scratched Dawn's ears as she groaned, Sakura was not going to be happy she was spotted.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Carver wondered walking towards her licking an ice cream cone. Dawn remained silent staring at the kid in front of her who curled up in a ball on the ground, she couldn't tell now it was hard detecting a jutsu like this one...was this kid the Reaper's spy? Dawn understood now why Sakura was making her do this.

"What um...what are you doing?" Raiden wondered looking from Dawn and then to the kid. Naruto handed Raiden his ice cream cup and jogged over to the kid.

"Hey, are you ok?" Naruto whispered moving closer to the crying boy.

"She-She tried to kill me!" The boy pointed towards Dawn who glared at him.

"Any reason for that?" Carver asked.

"Yes." Tsunade glared at her, "What is the reason you're inside my village attacking my students!?"

"Did Sakura send you?" Kakashi questioned, Dawn groaned at all the questions.

"You there-!" Tsunade turned to the boy, "-what is your name?"

"A-Aiko Sato." The boy answered getting to his feet,

"Commander." Tsunade stated, "You better get to answering my questions or call up your boss and have her speak to me! The fact you're even standing inside my village-" Aiko bolted left running from the forming group of shinobi. Dawn cursed about to go after him but was stopped by Tsunade's hand on her wrist.

"Agh." Naruto turned; Aiko was walking backwards as Diem moving towards him.

"Diem?" Carver tilted his head feeling confused as to why they were here. Aiko turned and ran from Diem. Dawn went to run after the boy but Tsunade wouldn't let go. The blonde Hokage kicked Dawn's legs out from the commander and forced her to her knees.

"I want answers!" Tsunade snapped holding Dawn's arm behind her back. Naruto's eyes widened as her pink hair drifted through the soft breeze, his mouth opened seeing her arm lightly draped around Aiko's neck as she stood in front of Tsunade.

"I wouldn't do that." Sakura smiled feeling Aiko trying to run out of her grasp. Tsunade looked past Sakura's eyes at the blood stain on her left cheek.

"Nice catch!" Diem praised.

"What is going on!?" Raiden looked around at the group of people, Sakura ignored them as she looked the boy in the eye.

"Tsunade." Sakura turned her glowing Christmas wreath eyes onto her. "Get your hands off my commander, before I break them off."

"Sakura..." Tsuande released Dawn who quickly stood holding her shoulder. "...what-"

"By now-" Sakura said. "-you know my village is your ally so you would think if you saw one of my Commanders you would trust they were here only for your best interest."

"Well-She-She was attacking one of my students!"

"Did you ever stop to question why?" Sakura asked,

"What reason could there be-" Sakura turned to Aiko ignoring Tsunade seeing no use of carrying out this conversation with her.

"Tell me something." Sakura said looking down at the boy, "Is Aiko Sato in there?" Sakura hoped Diem's information was off like last time, but the boy's face grew twisted and dark; Naruto blinked and was taken back seeing Kakashi suddenly standing beside Sakura. Kakashi held the boy's hand who gripped a kunai tightly aiming it in the direction of Sakura's rib cage. Kakashi's eyes was hard as he looked down at Aiko, that kind of blow would have killed Sakura in seconds.

"This kid has been dead for months!" Aiko laughed. "No one even noticed-" Sakura looked into the kid's eyes, trying to get into the reapers head.

"Well-!" Raiden breathed shaking his head. "-I am a little embarrassed!"

"A little?" Dawn turned. "You should have known this kid was a puppet being controlled!"

"Well..." Raiden trailed off in a high pitch tone.

"Have you just been fucking around the entire time you transfered here?" Diem moved to stand beside Dawn facing Carver and Raiden.

"N-No!" Raiden defended.

"We don't have to answer to you." Carver reminded them.

"We know." Dawn rolled her eyes. "You have said that to us maybe a million times but last time I checked we were still friends-" Carver and Raiden sucked in a breath, this was the first time they heard Dawn say that word to them. "-one day we are told by Sakura you are going to be training the Leaf shinobi and before any of us know it your retiring before the fight is even over and moving into a different village...I..." Dawn turned her head away.

"We thought we meant more to you than-" Diem went to finish,

"You do!" Raiden cut in.

"Then why are you here?" Diem asked.

"Why wouldn't they be?" Sasuke frowned,

"Because they were ours first." Diem stated, Raiden's eyes filled with tears. "You were our friends first; we were in the same fucking unit trained by the same person. I thought for sure if there ever came a day, we stopped this crazy fight we would all be together, but you left us..." Kakashi looked away from the emotional turmoil and to Sakura's face as she stared into the kid's eyes holding her famous poker face. Kakashi has never seen eyes that looked like those before, they were beautifully mysterious like she was. Kakashi felt an urge to reach out and brush away the dried blood on her cheek.

Kakashi quickly looked back over to the four bickering back and forth at each other as Sakura blinked and looked around. Sakura unwrapped her arm from around Aiko as he groaned looking like he had a headache. Kakashi let his hand go and placed it in his pocket.

"Holy shit the brat is alive!?" Raiden's mouth dropped open seeing Aiko looking around confused.

"What?" Dawn breathed, "Sakura-" Sakura held her hand up stopping the flood of confused questions.

"You ok kid?" Sakura asked Aiko, the puppet looked at Sakura with wide eyes.

"U-Uh...Ye-Yeah...what happened?"

"You got hit." Sakura nodded over towards her commanders. "They get a little rowdy, if you have any pain let me know and I will check you out ok?" Kakashi was impressed how naturally lying came to Sakura, before she vanished from the leaf village, she couldn't tell a fib to save her life.

"Oh...thanks..." Aiko muttered walking away from the group.

"What was that?" Diem stepped up looking at Kakashi who hadn't moved from his close place beside Sakura. Diem reached over and wiped the blood off her cheek, Kakashi felt his exposed eye narrow at the sight of him touching her. He didn't like seeing Diem softly wiping anything off her skin in such a loving way, only Kakashi could be the one to do that—what the hell was that? Kakashi looked off the distance wondering what these thoughts in his head were. Why did he care who touched her? Why did it bother him if Diem was more to Sakura than just a comrade?

"I placed a seal on him." Sakura informed, "I will know what he knows."

"Oh." Dawn realized, "He is more useful alive than dead."

"Yeah."

"What about those kid's parents!?" Tsunade breathed out, "I can't-I mean-"

"It sucks-" Sakura said with a shrug, "-but I can use that kid to know what the Reapers are doing."

"But-"

"That is the best we have right now Tsunade, I haven't gotten any closer to him in the months since Malachite was last here." Sakura said.

"Really?" Naruto asked, that fact scared him.

"I injured him." Sakura turned, "He is going to lay low until he heals."

"How good did you get him?" Carver asked,

"About as good as he got me so-" Sakura shrugged, all eyes fell onto her torso as the leaf shinobi recalled the video of Sakura fighting Malachite.

"But still..." Tsunade whispered.

"Aiko isn't a threat to your village." Sakura said, "I wouldn't let him walk around here if he was, that kid most likely died months ago when Malachite invaded I could remove the jutsu on him but his heart would then stop and his body wouldn't be able to go on living. What made Aiko himself is long gone, there is nothing I can do to bring that boy back, but what I can do is make it, so he didn't die in vain. I can use his death against the Reapers."

"Very well..." Tsuande sighed. "I trust you, Sakura."

"What are you doing now?" Raiden asked Sakura, who licked her lips looking around. Naruto could almost feel the sarcastic comment radiating off her tongue.

"We have work to do." Dawn answered with a wave of her hand. "Unlike you two we haven't-"

"Dawn." Sakura warned as she turned her body to leave the leaf village, feeling a headache from the constant bickering. Sakura's eyes shifted, she wrapped her seal around Hazel and her team sending them home. Kakashi watched this, he almost reached out and stopped her from going. What was going on with him!? She was his student and that was it!

"Sakura!" Naruto and Raiden called, turning her head to looking at them as she was just about to do the same with herself and her commanders as she did to Hazel and her team.

"Well..." Raiden muttered looking at Naruto, "...I was wondering, well we all were hoping you would hang out with us tonight; we sent you a couple texts and..." Sakura glanced over at Dawn and Diem, even though they were puffed out and annoyed right now she knew they missed their two friends.

"Are you sure-" Carver quickly moved forward, "-that Aiko is the only one? It sounds odd to me that the Reapers would only place one spy." Sakura turned to her commanders, she knew there were no more spies inside this village but for the hell of it...

"Well?" Sakura asked them.

"Wh-What!?" Dawn sighed.

"Are there?" Sakura questioned.

"You can detect them in seconds!" Diem groaned not wanting to go fishing for jutsu's.

"What if I wasn't here?" Sakura repeated.

"But you are!" Diem stressed.

"But what if I wasn't?" Sakura smirked at the annoyed expressions she was getting.

"But you are here!" Dawn groaned, "It will take you like three seconds to-"

"Get to work!" Sakura called spinning on her heel moving towards Naruto.

"Wh-Where are you going!?" Diem called,

"This way-" Sakura pointed in the direction she was walking.

"Ha-Ha, get your little smart ass over here and help!" Diem called, Kakashi glanced back at Diem, Kakashi didn't like Diem's tone when he dealt with Sakura.

"Mmm..." Sakura taking in a breath, "No." She turned and begin walking away.

"No? What the fuck you mean no!?"

"Non, Nej, нет any other way you need me to say it?" Sakura laughed over her shoulder.

"Du är ett sådant rövhål!" Dawn muttered to herself turning to look at the darkening village.

"What did she say?" Naruto muttered to Carver who shrugged having no idea.

"So, are you going to hang around?" Naruto wondered catching up to Sakura.

"You already scanned the village for more spies, didn't you?" Carver threw another question out. 

"There is only one in the village." Sakura said, "I want to see if they get led back to Aiko."

"Your testing them?" Carver wondered.

"I am." Sakura nodded.

"You never stop do you?" Raiden muttered.

"I do not." She smiled at him.

"Have you eaten?" Naruto asked her. "If you're hungry we can swing by ichiraku ramen for a quick bite before the bonfire!"

"Bonfire?" Sakura muttered to herself lightly cringing.

"Come on." Raiden pouted. "It will be fun."

"Fun for who?" Sakura questioned.

"Everyone will be there!" Raiden bounced, "You haven't really seen anyone since...erm..." Raiden looked behind him seeing Kakashi and Tsunade went their own ways.

"I uh..." Sakura said looking the three men who were giving her large puppy dog eyes. "Sure." She sighed, "But you have to keep Dawn and Diem entertained."

"W-Why!?" Raiden whined.

"Because."

"Because why?!"

"Because they miss you."

"They...They miss us?" Raiden asked slowly.

"That doesn't sound like them." Carver said.

"Doesn't sound like me either." Sakura shrugged, "You two raised hell inside our village for years and then out of nowhere you vanished. You had to expect them to at least react to that."

"Uh...no." Raiden shook his head.

"Yeah." Carver agreed, "Didn't think they would give a damn."

"Hm." Sakura hummed looking around, she understood the empty streets were due to the large bonfire inside the training grounds that was taking place tonight.

"What is 'Hm' mean?" Carver wondered as they walked to ichiraku ramen.

"You don't give those two enough credit." Sakura told him.

"Dawn and Diem?"

"Yes, and I don't like that." Sakura said as they took their seat at the bright red bar in Naruto's favorite place.

"How?" Naruto wondered,

"You know Dawn and Diem are related right-" Sakura didn't even finish her sentence before Raiden was already screeching.

"What else haven't you fucking told us!?" He glared.

"They are cousins, Dawn use to be a lot like Hinata-" Sakura said looking at Naruto, "-Diem use to be like you Naruto."

"What happened?" Carver asked.

"That, I don't even know the entire story." Sakura answered quickly placing her order with Teuchi. "I know their town they grew up in along with their families no longer exist like most of the shinobi inside my village."

"But Dawn and Diem have like a really big stick shoved way up their-"

"You know-" Sakura said looking at the bar. "-it is really hard to have a big heart when your whole life turns into a trauma story, Dawn and Diem's way of coping with that was turning off their emotions and they have come a long way from then."

"Is that what you did?" Naruto asked, "Turned off your emotions after Tsunade kicked you out?"

"Something like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Sakura replied, "...sometimes deciding who you want to be is deciding who you will never be again, and I hated who I was when I lived here."

"Is that why you let Kaguya turn you into..." Naruto trailed off not knowing if this is a road he wanted to go down.

"We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are." Sakura said. "Kaguya may have done what she did but I allowed her to change me, I am at fault too."

"I call bullshit on that." Carver coughed.

"Carver." Sakura sighed.

"What?" He laughed, "If we are going to have this conversation then let's have the whole thing. I remember nights standing on guard and hearing you screaming on the top of your lungs begging her to stop."

"What?" Naruto asked turning to look at Sakura.

"Yeah-" Carver said, "-she never told you about her training with Kaguya did she?"

"No." Naruto said cautiously.

"Kaguya killed Sakura, I can't even count how many times."

"I-I'm sorry, what!?" Naruto stood.

"Calm down." Sakura muttered.

"She killed you!?"

"Oh yeah!" Raiden stepped, "That is just the beginning of it, Kaguya is a fucked-up bitch man."

"This is not how I thought my night would go." Sakura muttered to herself.

The food arrived and Teuchi quickly scurried off into the back feeling sickened after hearing a small piece of Carver's story to Naruto about Sakura's training with Kaguya. Sakura felt annoyed, every time she tried to shut down the conversation she was waved off, she was questioning herself as to why she was hanging out this village right now until-

"Sakura-" Dawn walked into ramen ichiraku.

"This is where you have been?" Diem said looking around.

"Yeah." Raiden smiled,

"We can only find the one spy." Dawn said looking at Sakura who nodded standing to her feet.

"Very good."

"You knew the entire time, didn't you?" Dawn glared at her.

"Are you leaving?!" Naruto jumped up.

"Our job is done here." Sakura said she was confused, she cleaned out a spy for them and even sat down and ate a meal with them. Why was he looking so upset?

"But-But the bonfire is starting!" Naruto whined. "I thought you were going to come!"

"A bonfire?" Dawn muttered. "Why would that be fun?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Raiden asked.

"You traveled for years, camped out in the woods and basically lived round a campfire why would it be fun to go hang out around one just for the hell of it?" Diem rationalized.

"This Sakura-" Raiden pointed at the two commanders. "-this is why they suck."

"You think you're a picnic?" Sakura asked him,

"I am a delightful evening!" Raiden puffed out.

"That ends in food poisoning." Diem added with a muttered tone.

"What was that!?" Raiden pounced to his feet to get in Diems face.

"You really want us around?" Sakura wondered looking at Naruto. "We are not much fun-"

"You guys are going to fit right in!" Naruto laughed as he grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her out of ramen ichiraku. "Come on!"

"Naruto!" Sakura objected.

"This is going to be fun; I promise!" Naruto smiled over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Raiden ran after them. "Where the hell are you two going!?"

Naruto ran dragging Sakura the entire way to the training grounds, he didn't want to give Sakura the chance to bolt back to her village through her spillery seal. Naruto and the others came running into sight louder than a bullet shot from a gun. Inside the large training grounds of the leaf village multiple fire pits were set up with chairs and benches placed around them. Tables with food and drinks were set up around each fire.

"Naruto!" Hinata smiled jogging towards him.

"Hey!" He smiled engulfing her into a hug,

"S-Sakura?" Hinata's breath hitched in her chest seeing her standing behind him.

"Hm?" She asked turning her head.

"You came?" Hinata breathed, she really didn't believe Sakura would make an appearance.

"Yeah!" Naruto laughed wrapping an arm around Sakura's neck. "I might have dragged her, but it was worth it!"

"I can't believe you left us!" Raiden huffed coming up behind them.

"I see you have gotten slower." Sakura commented making Raiden jump.

"I-I was waiting for Carver to catch up!"

"Don't use me as an excuse you fucker!" Carver snapped walking towards the chilled beer in coolers.

"She came." Kiba breathed looking at her long hair blow through the air as she looked around the training grounds.

"Well come on!" Hinata giggled, taking Sakura's hand moving her to the fire she had been sitting at waiting for Naruto.

"Sakura-" Dawn quickly whispered following closely beside her.

"You're ok." Sakura said looking over her shoulder as Naruto and Hinata took their seat. "Take your hand off your sword."

"But-"

"Your safe here." Naruto smiled at the two commanders who appeared to be stiff an extremely out of place. They reminded Naruto of Sakura when she first returned home to the leaf village.

"Sit." Sakura ordered as she sat on the end of a bench, Dawn and Diem sat beside her looking uncomfortable.

"Sakura you came!" TenTen said moving from the fire beside theirs.

"Yeah..." Sakura trailed off.

"I texted you like twenty times!" TenTen puffed her cheeks out, "Why didn't you reply?"

"Er...I was busy?" Sakura muttered.

"Yeah!" Naruto laughed, "She just found a sp-" Sakura quickly kicked Naruto's ankle shutting him up.

"O-Ow!" He whined glaring at Sakura. 

"Naruto come help me." Sakura said getting up.

"Huh?"

"Come."

"I'm coming!" Naruto called getting up on his throbbing ankle following her to a table with smores and drinks. Sakura picked up three canned beers. "Why did you-"

"You can't go around talking about the spy in this village." Sakura's tone was dead serious.

"Huh? Why not? Everyone should know that you-"

"No one needs to know a damn thing I do." Sakura snapped, "My plan will only work if that Reaper thinks his cover hasn't been blown."

"Oh...I-I didn't think about that, I am sorry..."

"It...It's fine." Sakura sighed looking over at her commanders. Carver and Raiden had joined them and were sparking up conversation.

"You are very protective over them." Naruto realized seeing her face.

"Yeah." She said clearing her throat, "I am protective over a lot of people." She said walking back to the bonfire. "Ugh-" Sakura groaned. "-your one of them Naruto." She called feeling his gaze on her back, Naruto grinned quickly running to catch up to her.


	39. Chapter 39

"There you are Naruto." Minato smiled seeing his son was leaning against his girlfriend who he showed to love deeply, laughing in front of a roaring fire on a clear night. "Oh-" He spotted her cross the fire drinking a beer sitting beside her two commanders who were bickering with Carver and Raiden. "-Commander Haruno, I wasn't aware you were inside the village."

"Mm...why would you be?" Sakura wondered turning at him. "You not the Hokage, and she knows I am here."

"Any reason for that?" Minato wondered; Sakura gestured in front of her.

"I was invited to the party."

"Oh?" Minato was surprised, who would want to deal with a woman like Sakura Haruno willingly?

"Yes." TenTen said. "I invited her."

"We all did." Naruto added looking at his father. For the life of him Minato could not understand Naruto's relationship with Sakura.

"That reminds me!" TenTen jumped up, her face flushed showing her drinking. "Sakura!"

"Yes?"

"I was told we were friends!"

"We were."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were we friends?"

"Do you really want me to walk you through the psychological reasoning behind why people have friends?" Sakura asked causing Carver and Diem to laugh.

"No!" TenTen slurred, "Why are we friends, like what made you like me?"

"What made me like you?" Sakura tilted her head, "What isn't there to like?" Sakura furrowed her brows.

"H-Huh?" TenTen blushed.

"TenTen your awesome." Sakura said.

"N-No I'm not-"

"How not?" Sakura asked, "Your caring but you don't let that be a weakness. You don't let the world hold you back, your free spirited and your love for weapons and hand to hand combat and training is how we bonded and became close friends."

"O-Oh..." TenTen's face was bright red.

"Neji do you want to help me out here?" Sakura called to him sitting in a chair a few feet away. Sakura smirked watching him jump at the sound of his name and TenTen turning to look at him.

"We should fight!" TenTen jumped to her feet.

"Say what now?" Sakura watched TenTen pull on her shoes.

"My doctor said if I do the things I use to do before I lost my memory then maybe I could jog something lose. Maybe sparing with you will kickstart something!"

"I'm all for that-" Sakura said, "-but you have been drinking."

"So?"

"Can you walk in a straight line?" Sakura asked.

"I don't need to walk in a straight line to train!" TenTen laughed, "That's like the easiest way to kill me!"

"That...That isn't what I meant..." Sakura sighed.

"TenTen." Neji said walking over, "Commander Haruno is right, you shouldn't train after you drank this much."

"We won't use weapons then." TenTen shrugged, "What do you say Sakura?"

"Fuck it." Sakura said standing.

"Commander-" Neji breathed.

"She will be fine." Sakura turned to him. "It will be only hand to hand."

"I don't think this is a good idea." Choji muttered eating a bag of mini cookies.

"Sakura maybe Neji is right." Naruto said.

"Then get her to change her mind." Sakura flashed a smile at Neji who turned bright red figuring out this was all a ploy to get him to stand up and take charge over TenTen.

"Yeah-" Diem said reading the room. "-I would get your girlfriend to back down."

"She-She isn't my girlfriend!" Neji snapped.

"Oh really?" Diem said, he sat his beer down on the ground standing. "So, you won't mind if I-"

"Absolutely not!" Neji said taking TenTen's hand and leading her to a different fire, Sakura laughed moving to sit back down.

"Took him long enough." Dawn muttered.

"Right?" Sakura agreed.

"You-You were just trying to get a rise out of Neji?!" Naruto said turning around to watch TenTen stumble as she followed Neji.

"Fighting a drunk person, not that much fun." Sakura shrugged.

"Is your invitation still open for that training session?"

Sakura turned around hearing a deep voice hovering over her head. Sakura licked her lips seeing two eyes gazing down at her with a hard plastered expression. Sakura sighed as she rose to her feet looking at Minato.

"D-Dad?" Naruto quickly got up. "Y-You want to fight Sakura?!"

"I think it would be fun." Minato smiled at his son.

"Fun?" Diem muttered. "Dudes gonna get his ass kicked." Diem said turning around losing interest drinking his beer.

"W-Where is mom!?" Naruto looked around.

"With Tsunade somewhere, so what do you say Commander Haruno?"

"Why not?" Sakura shrugged.

"But why dad?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Not many people can keep up with me." Minato explained, "She did after getting a hole stabbed in her side. I am just curious to see how good the Reaper really is."

"Mm." Sakura hummed following Minato to a clearing away from the fires and drunken people. "You know my nickname."

"Yes." Minato chuckled, "I have learned a lot about you."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out." Sakura said reaching down to her leg.

"I don't mind using weapons-" Minato said as Raiden and Carver turned on stadium lights so everyone could see, drawing a crowd.

"You don't want me using this one." Sakura said unstrapping her gun from her leg. Minato's eyes widened once he saw the weapon she was removing.

"Why do you have that!?" He called,

"Well-" She said turning to Diem who took it, Minato saw Dawn and Diem also had the same guns strapped to their legs. "-why not?"

"Why do you need guns?" Minato frowned.

"I simply keep up with the times." Sakura shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"It means...I am just prepared for anything." Sakura smiled not wanting to freak anyone out and ruin the night.

Naruto nervously bit on his nails as he watched his father and Sakura circle each other. Kakashi moved to stand beside Tsunade and Kushina, he shoved his hands in his pockets as his eye locked onto her when Minato leapt forward.

Minato's famous nickname still lives with him, even Kakashi had trouble keeping with his speed as he left a yellow blur in his tracks. Kushina was stunned when she saw Sakura was able to keep up with Minato. Naruto's mother thought back to when she awoke, she remembered Sakura's shoulder was bleeding, her head felt like it was splitting open and then Naruto was there. It just occurred to Kushina that Sakura had to fight her and her husband and keep them at bay until she found a way to free them from being controlled.

"I am impressed." Minato laughed, enjoying the workout.

"Oh?" Sakura wondered as she spun the kunai in her hand and as the two went back to walking in a circle, each waiting for the other to strike.

"Kakashi trained you very well!" Minato was proud of his student.

"Excuse me?" Sakura said turning over her shoulder to look at the masked shinobi.

"He was your sensei before-"

"He was never my sensei." Sakura corrected; how many times was she going to have to say this?

"Of course, he was he trained you-"

"I was placed on his team for a year, where I fell into your sons shadow. He never trained me like he trained Naruto and Sasuke." Sakura locked her eyes on Minato. "He passed me off to Tsuande who did the same."

"I am sure-"

"I used to wonder why they both let me fall through the cracks like they did but now I frankly couldn't give a damn." Sakura shrugged. "When she banished me from this village I had to learn how to fight for myself."

"You were so young how did-"

"Kaguya." Sakura answered, Minato's eyes widened Tsunade told him she had been released but was kept in checked, it was still shocking to hear.

"She is your sensei then?" Minato wondered, personal detailed about the Reaper were like tiny bread crumbles around the world, no one knew anything except war stories.

"No." Sakura laughed amused by that thought.

"No?"

"Kaguya was just the person who put me through hell."

Minato smiled walking over to Sakura and held out his hand, Sakura tilted her head confused.

"It has been awhile since I have had a good fight like that, but I can hear Kushina's stomach growling from here, and she is not a person you want to be around when she gets hungry." Minato laughed, Sakura reached out and shook his hand. "I am sorry I have been so harsh with you, I guess you didn't get the best impression of me."

"Really?" Sakura said causing Minato to laugh, placing his hand on her head ruffling her hair. Sakura's eyes widened not expecting this turn of events.

"Thank you, Commander, for everything you have done for this village and for my son. I hope you and I can be good friends in the future." Minato smiled before turning and walking to his wife.

"I think you just got my dad's approval." Naruto said moving to her side.

"I don't need—I'm not Hinata—whatever." Sakura dropped the conversation hearing Carver and Diem wrestling over the last bag of a flavor of chips. Sakura smiled at the two, Kakashi watched her from beside Guy who was very drunk.

"For a soldier who is adept at killing, her eyes are remarkably soft." He smiled to himself.

"Huh?" Guy turned. "Did you say something Kakashi?" Guy slurred his words.

"Not a thing." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"Hey Sakura-" Naruto turned; "-can I talk to you?"

"Hm?" She hummed turning from watching the two rolling around on the ground, "About?" Naruto didn't answer he just led them away from the crowd. Sakura sighed, letting her long hair down from the tight hair tie letting her pink hair flow around her as she brought the cold can of beer to her lips, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Naruto laughed blushing a little holding his hands up, "I swear nothing is wrong!"

"Then what do you need to talk to me about?"

"I just...I wanted to apologize."

"For?"

"Inside your office..." Naruto said, "I didn't...I am sorry Sakura."

"Alright-" Sakura sighed, "-this conversation I can tell right now is going to need something stronger." She said holding up the can.

"Huh?"

"I know where Carver likes to keep his good stuff so Raiden can't drink it." A sly smile bloomed across her face as the two made their way to Carver and Raiden's apartment, they had officially taken over the apartment Sakura had borrowed from Tsunade when she first returned to the leaf village.

Sakura had a spare key to their place; she unlocked it and flicked the lights on.

"Do you come here a lot when they are not here?" Naruto wondered how many times she was near without him knowing.

"Not really." Sakura answered.

"Oh." Naruto felt sad knowing that. Sakura went to the bathroom and over the toilet inside the ceiling was Carvers stash. Sakura taught him this trick a long time ago. She walked back out into the living room, finding two glasses and quickly shot hers back knowing she was going to need to be a lot less sober for what Naruto wanted to talk about.

"So, what's up?" She asked sitting on the couch, placing the thick rum bottle on the coffee table.

"I wanted to tell you that I am sorry-"

"For what?"

"In your office-"

"You don't need to apologize to me." Sakura said,

"But I wanted you to hide-"

"Yeah-" Sakura laughed, "-like any sane person would want. Look...I am not saying what I did was justifiable but when you broke into my village you stumble upon a version of me that thought it was years ago and I hated you, I really did."

"I..."

"And it wasn't only because I got banished from the village. I hated you because you were everything I wasn't and still isn't."

"Wh-What?" Naruto breathed, "Sakura, you-your freaking amazing!"

"No, I'm not." Sakura shook her head. "I am the opposite of you, it's why I can understand your father not trusting me. You're the sun and colorful, you can befriend a person with just one smile while I am dark and full of nightmares that terrify people."

"Sakura-"

"It took...a long time for me to accept what I turned into." Sakura said, having never had this conversation with another living person it felt good to get this off her chest and yet annoying at the same time.

"You're not a monster-" Naruto took Sakura's hand, "-I am sorry if while inside your village I reinforced that image of you in your head but you're not! Sakura your everything I dream I will be when I become Hokage, you're so strong when I know I would have crumbled. Your fearless and so wise you're like my own personal all-knowing oracle. I can always count on you to be there for me and have my back!"

"Naruto-"

"No!" He frowned looking into her eyes, "I don't want to hear this from you again! If you want a picture of a monster that Malachite guy is the monster in this story, not you!"

"Alright." Sakura said.

"R-Really?" Naruto said. "That's it?"

"Yup." Sakura nodded.

"Wow I am good at this!" Naruto laughed, "So...how are you...are you like ok with him or...?"

"My Kakashi died." Sakura said with a shrug,

"That can't be all you have to say!"

"What do you want to hear?" Sakura asked, "I'm not over him, I am just going through the emotions and doing what I am supposed to do." She said reaching into her shirt pulling out the long chain that held the ring he gave her and the star charm on the necklace Naruto and Kakashi gave her last Christmas.

"You still have that?" Naruto said reaching over to and touching the necklace.

"Yeah, the chain broke so I added it to this one." Sakura muttered pouring another drink.

"Do you want to talk about that?" Naruto asked pointing to the cup.

"Are you counting my drinks?"

"Um..."

"You lecture me, you count my drinks-" Sakura trailed off, "-you are all the worst parts of a girlfriend."

"I-I am not-"

"I'm not an alcoholic." She cut off Naruto's rant. "I only drink a glass every so often, more today because well...I can see my dead boyfriend walking around with a pulse, and it takes the edge off."

"Edge?" Naruto frowned not understanding this phrase. Sakura looked into the dark liquid inside the glass.

"I have been fighting for a long time...I have been in a lot of wars; stood on battle grounds and it is hard to rip yourself out of that."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. Sakura shook her head, forgetting that her and Naruto could not bond over war stories, they couldn't even bond over lost lovers anymore because he got his back, hers returned he just wanted nothing to do with her.

"Nothing." Sakura shook her head.

"No." Naruto said taking her hand in his again, "Tell me. I don't understand but try to help me I want too." Sakura studied him for a moment and sighed, taking another drink.

"Even though I am sitting here with you apart of me will always still be trapped on a battleground." Sakura sighed, "When I am alone, I can hear faint sounds of screaming, rather it be children crying over their dead parents or my own soldiers begging me to save them it echos around my head when its quiet."

"Sakura I..." Naruto didn't know what to say, "...go on." Naruto muttered taking a long drink of the rum as he welcomed the burning sensation down his throat.

"If I am not careful and I let my mind drift I can sometimes feel my sword still in my hand I can feel the handle being warm from me wielding it for so long-" Sakura muttered feeling herself getting lost in thought. "-When I close my eyes, I can see the burnt field. I can smell chard bone, God that smell will forever haunt me." Naruto squeezed Sakura's hand seeing she was falling backwards into her memories. She looked over at him, he flashed a grinned and raised his glass.

"Another round?"

"Yeah." She said, Naruto leaned forward grabbing the bottle.

"Have you ever talked to anyone else about this stuff?" Naruto wondered, "Carver or Raiden?"

"No." Sakura said.

"Not even to your own Commanders?"

"They come to me." Sakura muttered a thank you to Naruto for filling her glass. "Not the other way around for advice and counseling on things like this."

"But...if everyone comes to you for help what do you do?"

"Help them?" Sakura answered slowly,

"No!" Naruto laughed, "I mean...you do you go and talk with?"

"No one."

"But that...that doesn't seem right!"

"Yeah well...I did talk to Kakashi when he was alive."

"And that helped?"

"It did." Sakura nodded, "He understood a lot of what I went through, he had a lot of years inside the black ops and kind of knew what to say."

"Do you regret becoming Commander of the Waterfall Village?" Naruto asked, playing with the rim of his glass. "Before Kakashi...you know...it seemed like you kind of didn't want to go back there."

"I don't regret becoming Commander." Sakura said, "I do love my job, I love my village-" a sting shocked through Naruto's heart hearing Sakura love another village other than the leaf village it just didn't seem right. "-I love my soldiers, but I regret training them."

"What?" Naruto frowned not expecting to hear that.

"I wished I never used the training grounds, I wished I never imprinted the way I did on some of those men and women. I twisted them into dark creatures, and I hated that I was the one who did that to them."

"Sakura..." Naruto saw the pain in her eyes.

"That was one thing Kaguya didn't teach me." Sakura smiled, "She taught me how to put this uniform on and how to do my job well but never told me there's no way to get this thing off. I am sitting here with you, but I still feel like I am fighting, and it is utterly exhausting living in this nearly constant state of fight-or-flight and there is no way to turn it off and it just makes me feel so drained."

"Those soldiers aren't on you." Naruto said. "That is on Kaguya-"

"She didn't train them, I did. I ripped them apart and put them back together again. I made them into what they are."

"But Kaguya set you up to fail, she filled that village with rogue and freelance shinobi and made Purgatory then expected you to lead that and just like you said to me! Those shinobi made their choices, they allowed you to do what you did to them."

"I don't know." Sakura breathed feeling tired as she leaned back against the couch.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Naruto wondered.

"Shoot."

"Was it better?" Naruto asked, Sakura opened her eyes and looked at Naruto confused for a moment.

"No." Sakura answered.

"Huh!?" Naruto leaned forward. "How wouldn't it be better to not remember being with Kakashi? You wouldn't remember your entire relationship with him, you wouldn't recall falling in love with him. You didn't remember how much you loved him and how it crippled you when you watched him die in your arms!"

"And that is why it wasn't worth it." Sakura yawned leaning on her arm.

"H-Huh?"

"Kakashi thought I was strong and so fearless, and it didn't matter how weak I felt he never stopped looking at me like I was the most beautiful person on this earth." Sakura smiled, "Kakashi thought I could do the impossible and he always saw the best in me when I couldn't. Now that Kakashi is gone all I want is to be the person Kakashi thought I was. I am scared to death that I will not measure up to his expectations. But I know now that I would rather have his memory and live with the pain than live without the pain and never remember how he made my heart skip every time he looked at me."

"I don't think you could ever let him down."

"My version of Kakashi isn't here anymore but he still makes me want to be a better person, I truly believe that is why I didn't kill you and your team that day. I believe somewhere inside my head I knew Kakashi would be disappointed in me if I crept into the village, he loved more than himself and tore it down so...yes his memory burns and aches, and some days looking towards tomorrow I have no fucking clue how I can make it, but then I think about him. The man I agreed to marry may have died but I still want to make him proud of me."

"I think he would be very proud of you." Naruto smiled as his face was turning red from the alcohol.

\----

The front door slammed open; Sakura looked over seeing a pissed off Raiden who swayed with gravity.

"This is where you went!?" He pointed at her and Naruto who were still on the couch. Naruto clinched the sofa feeling it was rocking back and forth as if it was a ship and the hardwood floor was the swaying sea. Naruto groaned putting his head on the arm of the couch, he got sea sick.

"You got into my shit!?" Carver stepped past Dawn and Diem.

"He made me." Sakura pointed to Naruto.

"I-I did not!"

"He made me talk about emotions and open up." Sakura smirked at Naruto's annoyed face, it was her idea to come here and drink!

"You made Sakura talk about feelings?" Carver laughed plopping on the couch in between them. "Now that's fucked up."

"Well yeah...I did do that..." Naruto muttered feeling drunk.

"You guys drank the entire bottle!" Carver whined.

"It was good too." Sakura smiled leaning her head on the back of the couch.

"You are terrible to me!" Carver said taking her glass as he polished it off.

"What have you all been up too?" Sakura wondered watching her commanders as well as Sasuke sit around the room.

"Nothing." Carver answered for everyone. "Just messing around at the bonfire which you basically missed!"

"Beh." Sakura shrugged,

"We called you like fifty times." Dawn muttered; Sakura tilted her head not feeling her phone go off in her pocket, she pulled it out and saw it had died.

"Oh well-" Sakura sat it on the table.

"What about you?!" Raiden directed to Naruto opening a bag of chips. "We called you too, you never answered so we made sure to get your girlfriend home!"

"What?" Naruto said feeling his pockets, "Where-?" Naruto stood not feeling his phone and began to panic. "I lost it!" Naruto shouted; this would be the fourth one this year!

"Calm down!" Diem waved to the blond, "Sit down and try to remember back to the last place you seen it."

"Um..." Naruto drunkenly fell back onto the couch. "I think I had it when I was in Kakashi Sensei's place..."

"You think or you know?" Dawn asked,

"I don't remember! Sakura got me drunk!"

"I did not, it's not my fault you can't hold your shit." Sakura responded.

"I don't think Kakashi is even home." Carver muttered,

"That masked man with the silver hair was with the very loud ninja." Dawn shivered still hearing Guy's laugh ringing in her ears. "With the black mushroom hair."

"Oh Guy." Carver nodded, "Yeah he was pretty fucked up when we left." He chuckled,

"Looks like you're going to have to wait until morning to get your phone back Naruto." Raiden muffled out with a mouthful of chips as he turned the TV on.

"But..." Naruto turned to Sakura with watery eyes. "...what if Hinata texts me?"

"I am sure she will-"

"I text her goodnight every night!" Naruto whined.

"You are so whipped!" Carver laughed.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried.

"What the fuck do you want me to do?"

"Help me!"

"I don't think I am qualified to give you the amount of help-"

"You know what I mean!" Naruto frowned causing Sakura to laugh, she looked over in the direction of Kakashi's apartment. She did still have a key from when she dated him, if the locks had not been changed since then...she sighed after a couple more minutes of Naruto's staring at her with large puppy eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked seeing her stand. "He isn't there."

"Are you going to break in!?" Raiden gasped,

"Wouldn't be the first time." Sakura sighed, "I'll be back."

"Yay!" Naruto said leaning on Carver who groaned,

"Someone give me their phone." Sakura ordered,

"Huh? Why?"

"So, I can find Naruto's phone." Sakura answered dully. Carver tossed his. She left the apartment and walked over to Kakashi's door, it wasn't hard to pick open a door, but she had a working key, so it was easy to unlock it and walk on in. She was greeted with his familiar scent as she moved through the darkened living room. Kakashi's apartment was warm and spelt like him, it was making Sakura sleepy as she pulled out Carver's phone, he opened his bedroom door.

The room was shockingly bright, Sakura looked up from the phones screen as she called Naruto. Sakura felt the stunned expression on her face as Kakashi walked out from the bathroom, wearing only a towel that hung dangerously low on his toned waist. The two stared at each other as Sakura took in his unmasked face, she hadn't seen it since he died. She discovered after that day she had no pictures of him to hold onto. Naruto's phone played inside the bathroom.

"S-" Kakashi quickly turned around, Sakura's eyes scanned over his muscular torso. She rolled her eyes as she walked over towards him.

"Calm down." She said brushing past him, "You have nothing I haven't already seen before." Kakashi's heart fluttered, they had been dating so they meant they would have...Kakashi's felt his face heat up as his eyes trailed along Sakura's body as she found Naruto's dying phone. "I didn't know checking out your so-called student was acceptable." Sakura said turning around feeling his eyes on her.

"I wasn't-"

"Mhm." Sakura replied stepping to leave the room. "I was under the impression you were still out with Guy, sorry." Sakura said over her shoulder,

"How did you get in here?" Kakashi asked, making Sakura smile.

"I am the Reaper." Sakura turned to look at him, he hadn't moved to cover his face which surprised her. "Getting through a wooden door isn't too hard." Kakashi smiled at her cocky answer making her heart flutter seeing that smile on those lips. Sakura turned on her heel and walking out of the bathroom, her eyes scanned over the bedroom remembering back to all the times she slept in here. Sakura stopped walking seeing her bracelet sitting on his dresser as her breath hitched inside her chest, she mindlessly went to touch her wrist. She could almost feel Kakashi placing it on her while sitting in this room on Christmas day.

What would her version of Kakashi say about all this to her? Sakura furrowed her eyebrows together as she stared at her bracelet. Sakura couldn't believe he would tell her to leave him be, let him live his life without her. Sakura turned to look at the man who watched her confused. Would he want her to fight for him, if he loved her once surely, he could love her again and that is what Kakashi would want right? Sakura turned moving her way back into the bathroom where Kakashi had turned to continue getting dressed. TenTen did say that there was a chance her memory could be jogged by doing the repetitive activities she did before she died, maybe there was chance her Kakashi wasn't fully gone. Sakura walked into the steamy room; her eyes locked on his reflection in the mirror.

"Commander-?"

"You don't call me that." Sakura snapped as she moved into him, she gripped his chin forcing him to look at her as she reached up and kissed him. She mashed her lips against his, wrapping her free arm around his neck. Kakashi was stunned for a moment, before leaning into her kiss. Heat rose into Sakura's cheeks as his tongue lightly entered her mouth, she felt electric sparks pulse through her body.

Kakashi got firmer with her, more determined as he pushed her against the wall feeling more curious as he explored her wet mouth. She tasted like rum and coke, it was delicious to him as he gripped a fist full of her hair firmly as if to keep her from vanishing from his grasp, he took control over the kiss. His hand trailed along her body feeling every curve seeking to chase down that elusive liquid lightning he felt when touching her.

Sakura's heart was racing as her breathing was very deliberately, she moved her hand to the back of his neck and shuddered when Kakashi's hands dipped under her shirt and onto her smooth hot skin. Kakashi felt like he was in a haze but was careful when he felt the edges of the gauze on her stomach. Kakashi felt so excited, a little nervous as he cupped her breast in her hand and he felt so responsive to her touch. It felt like he was a teenager again and he was kissing a girl for the very first time, the bundle of nerves and excitement, the chest heaving. Everything around the shinobi and the soldier appeared hazy as their bodies felt hot and thinking was hard to difficult.

"I-" Kakashi opened his eye, looking down at her as his chest quickly rose and fell. "I can't do this." He breathed, "You're my-"

"Do you see any trace of the girl you knew?" Sakura leaned against the wall for support, her knees felt weak as Kakashi backed away from her making her feel cold. Kakashi searched Sakura's blushing face as she pulled her shirt down. "I am not your student; I never really was."

"Sakura-"

"You didn't train me like you trained the others." Sakura laughed, "You only had me a year before passing me off to Tsunade, how can you stand there and try to take credit for who I have become?"

"You think that is what I am doing?" Kakashi questioned, "You think I want to be known as the man who trained the Reaper?" Kakashi's voice turned sourly as Sakura sucked in a breath as a cold pain struck her heart, was this what he truly thought of her?

"Fuck you Kakashi." Sakura breathed anger laced her face as she grabbed Naruto's phone off the sink but before leaving, "There was a time you were proud of who I was, you stood by my side no questions asked." She looked him in the eye, "You wanted everyone to know you were the man fucking the Reaper." She turned and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Kakashi's apartment.

Naruto woke up with a hangover ready to greet him for the day, he was asleep on Carver and Raiden's couch. Naruto blinked as his head throbbed and his stomach rolled, he saw his phone sitting on the coffee table, but it had died over night. Naruto slowly got up from the couch, moving into the kitchen to get water.

"You look rough." A voice laughed; Naruto turned to glare at Raiden, but he was to tired. "I guess I don't have to ask how your feeling."

"No." Naruto said leaning over the kitchen sink. "Where is everyone?" He noticed the quiet apartment.

"Well Carver is getting dressed, we have training sessions today. Sasuke went home late last night and I have no idea when Sakura, Dawn and Diem left."

"They left?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, they weren't here when Carver got up." Raiden said,

"I don't even remember Sakura coming back from getting my phone."

"You passed out before she did." Raiden chuckled, "You didn't miss anything, we watched some movies and went to sleep."

"I wonder why Sakura didn't wait for us to get up before leaving?" Naruto muttered.

"You know her-" Raiden waved, "-I'm sure she will be back around before we know it."

"Yeah..." Naruto muttered. "Blegh." He gagged quickly hovering over the sink.

"Don't throw up in my sink!" Raiden shouted, "I wash my fucking dishes in there! Go put your head out the window or something!"

"Out the window?" Naruto wanted to laugh but he felt too sick as he groaned swearing to himself to never drink again in his life!


	40. Chapter 40

Deep inside the waterfall village, if you walk pass the heart of the village and go into its thick and unforgivable forests and you walk over the large four bridges and make two lefts and a right you will come up to a sign that reads. 'DO NOT ENTER' If you are stupid enough to keep on going you will see the thick trees soon start to swallow up all the light and you will have none left for yourself to see, you will need a flashlight.

If you use a fire jutsu well...good luck with the dry vegetation that has you surrounded. If you brush them with your fire, then they will quickly engulf you as their attempt to put themselves out of their horrible misery. If you don't know what step to take by heart, you're going to be falling on your ass a lot due to the overly rooted forest grounds. If you make it this far, you will stumble upon a weathered down path long forgotten.

A worn faded sign will scream 'AUTHORIZED PERSON ONLY', if you choose to go on against your God given common sense which should be screaming at your by now to turn the fuck around and go home, then may God be with you when you walk past the final sign that reads: 'COMMANDER ONLY'.

After what feels like hours due to this dark gloomy place sucking all sense of time out from around you leaving you with your own sense of time which...well your human so it's naturally wrong. Calm down; you haven't been walking for hours in a circle, it's only been fourteen minutes and you're sadly going the right way.

As you near your destination point, you begin to feel clammy and cold, your lungs feel like there is no oxygen inside the air it is pulling into your chest. You start to panic as you question how long it has been since you felt the sun on your face. But right before you break, you see a dark wooden door. The two guards that should be standing on duty are missing, you don't understand why, and you don't get paid enough to ask why so you open and step through the door.

You step onto cement that is covered with the forests leaf's and coated in what you prayed was dried mud. The sounds of your footsteps crunching on the floor sends shivers up your spine. If this was a movie the audience would be screaming at you, calling you a fucking moron and telling you to turn around, your gonna die!

You can feel the silence beating down on your neck, after you walk down endless flights of stairs going deeper into the earth you come across halls and halls of cages. The waterfall's prison is where you are standing. The worst of the worst lives down here, it truly was hell on earth. You ignore the screaming that echoed around the walls. You didn't know this currently, but these screams were going to haunt you in your dreams for a couple weeks, sugar pop.

You try to ignore how the screams of the damned found their way to slip under your skin as your heart felt ready to burst out of your chest. Finally, you begin to second guess why the fuck you would come down here!? You come to a metal door; you reach out to grasp the rusted handle feeling yourself begin to sweat. You look to your left, then to your right wondering if anyone was watching you thinking you were crazy because you don't know how long you had been standing there looking at that old broken door. You placed your hand on the handle ignoring the cold sting it gives your hand as you pull it open.

It is an interrogation room; you see a man strapped down to a chair as his head tilted down his face, his bare chest painted in blood. You see two strangers; you didn't know they were the missing guards from the entrance. Commander Dawn and Diem were standing beside the man tied down looking at you with expressionless faces, then you notice her. Her back is to you your eyes trail over her long and beautifully perfect hair. Your heart squeezes itself and your voice runs and hides as you shrink inside her shadow.

In a quiet moment you watch her turn around and you then wish you could melt into the floor, you pray to God that you magically find the ability to turn invisible but no matter how much you pray or beg her burning eyes still lock onto your image igniting you into flames. You suck in a deep breath at her beauty. She truly was a gorgeous woman with her perfect flawless skin and strong posture, she made your knees weak under her gaze and left you speechless.

The fearless commander of the waterfall village stood before you. You had only seen glimpses of her here and there, Sakura Haruno was a hard woman to get in touch with even if she was one of the people leading your village. Even down here inside the depths of hell she stood with her head held high, you wondered about the many mysterious rumors circling this woman.

Commander Haruno returned to the waterfall village injured not long ago, that information spread through the village like a virus on a mission. Half of the army attacked her within the first hour. She stood in the middle of the training grounds waiting for the soldiers to come and she killed half of her own army without a second thought.

Many other shinobi and dark organizations have tried to strike her down, but they all fell to their knees begging for forgiveness, but she never gives second chances once you raise a blade against her. Commander Haruno was so amazing, your heart pounded feeling start struck by her presence, she was so strong and cool...you wanted to be like her!

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Her dominate voice echoed around small stone room and bounced of the wall crushing your small body, making you take a step back.

"C-Commander." You stuttered trying to show respect, so you bow your head quickly your long brown hair fell off your shoulders. "I have a message for-"

"I don't give a fuck who your message is for!" Commander Haruno snapped cutting your sentence off by its head. "You are not allowed down here; I don't give two shits if we were under attack right now you have no right to be here." She said, "Now leave."

"But..." Your dumb ass said.

"I said fucking leave-" Commander Haruno snapped, glaring into your hazel eyes. You squeezed your legs tightly trying to keep yourself from peeing. "-Before I throw your ass inside a cell and leave you there until you fucking rot!"

"Ye-Yes Commander!" You said quickly bowing your head as fear had you shaking in your ankle boots. You turned on your heels dashing out of the room but not before you ran into the door since you couldn't open it fast enough.

"You two-" Commander Haruno turned to the guards, "-escort her out and you both return to your posts."

"Yes Commander." They bowed, moving to both your sides almost molding against you like unmovable walls as they gripped your arms hard, most likely will leave bruising for tomorrow. You glanced back as the door slowly closed you were able to see Sakura turn to look at her two commanders, she was speaking to them as she gestured to the man tied down against the chair. You had so many questions spinning around inside your head, but you do not get paid enough to ask questions. 

You simply turn back around allowing the two guards to drag you back to the surface so you could return to your desk. You felt sad, you had been so excited to get the chance to see the commander but you knew you shouldn't have gone down into the jail and now you made her mad and what was worse you never were able to give her your message!

~~~~

Hello you beautiful Jommy!

Question for you: How did you feel about this POV? 

I have been playing with the idea of putting you inside the character's POV such as Naruto or Sakura. I think it will be fun and different, I haven't decided yet I wanted to get some feedback first!

Let me know what you think, I love feedback good or bad!

Continue to the next chapter!


	41. Chapter 41

"A little rough there don't you think?" Dawn wondered looking over at Sakura who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"They will never learn unless I am stern." She replied.

"She was a kid." Diem laughed, "She almost peed herself!"

"Yeah..." Sakura muttered biting her bottom lip, "That was kind of funny!"

"Your terrible!" Dawn laughed with Sakura.

"Alright-" Diem sighed, "-what are we going to do with him?"

The three commanders of the waterfall village turned to look at the man tied to the metal chair. The man belonged to no other than the reapers, he came screaming into the village begging for Sakura's help. When Sakura arrived on scene, he dropped to his knees claiming he wanted to be set free from the reapers and he would pass over any information he had on them in order to help Sakura bring them down.

Sakura sighed as she pulled up a chair and sat down across from the man, he slowly looked up to the pink haired reaper. This was the first time seeing her in person, he had only seen her inside quick snapshots taken by hidden members of his organization. She was stunning and the word terrifying didn't give the deadly look she was giving him justice. Sakura was watching, studying the man as he looked from her to the two commanders standing behind her.

"Your name and rank." Sakura said, finally breaking the melting silence that was oozing around the room.

"Th-They call me-me Bo-Bowie." The reaper stuttered under the three Commanders gazes.

"Bowie?" Diem raised an eyebrow; he joined the reapers and could pick any new name to start his new twisted life and he picked Bowie?

"Rank." Dawn crossed her arms over her chest.

"I-I was just a low-level tr-trafficker." The reaper said honestly, he saw the disgust in Sakura's eyes, the molten hatred that swirled inside those green orbs felt like they were burning his very soul. "I didn't want too!" The reaper defended himself. "I never even wanted to join the reapers, but they attacked my village out of nowhere a few years ago, we never stood a chance and it was either be killed on the spot or join them...I did what I had to do to survive!" The reaper pleaded. "What was I supposed to do?!"

"You die on your feet-" Sakura said standing, her chair scraping across the cement floor. "-than serve on your knees."

"I-I have information!" Bowie said, "I know you have been looking for our hideout and I don't know where that is, but I do know where the next portal to take us there will open up." The three commanders all looked at each other, this could be a real shot at finding the reapers hideout and finally taking them down.

"He could be lying." Diem muttered.

"But I am not!" Bowie promised but was ignored.

"He is a Reaper." Dawn stated with her hand on her hip, "Lies come out of their mouth as naturally as carbon dioxide."

"That is true." Sakura muttered, 

"I am trying to get out of the Reapers!" Bowie cried looking between the three people who determined his future.

"Once a Reaper, is always a Reaper." Dawn said appalled she was even speaking to this sorry excuse for a being and not slitting his throat!

"She was a Reaper!" Bowie guestered with his head towards Sakura.

"Exactly their point." Sakura stated as she moved, leaning in front of him placing both her arms on the chairs rests and gazed into his eyes as hers shifted into their familiar Christmas wreaths that made Dawn feel comfort and safe. "He isn't lying." Sakura muttered as her eyes shifted back into their green orbs, "He did receive coordinates a few miles outside Sand territory."

"Hm..." Dawn muttered,

"This seems way to easy." Diem sighed rubbing his face.

"We don't get this lucky." Dawn agreed.

"True." Sakura said, "But I don't want to pass this opportunity up either."

"We could go again." Dawn said, "Take Hazel's team as well just in case, that wouldn't leave the village to open should this be a trap."

"That is good." Diem nodded, "What do you think?" Diem turned to Sakura.

"I like it." Sakura said turning from dozing off in thought, "I'll call Hazel and tell her to get her team together while you two get ready."

"Alright another field trip!" Diem smiled as the three turned to leave the room.

"Wait!" Bowie called out. "What about me!?"

"What about you?" Diem asked as the three commanders turned to look at the reaper.

"I told you everything I know! The reapers will kill me if I walk out of this village." Bowie cried,

"How is that my problem?" Sakura asked looking at Dawn who shrugged.

"Please! Help me!"

"If your information checks out, then you can have a place in one of the cells down here until you die." Sakura offered.

"What!? But-But-"

"You were a sex trafficker." Sakura tilted her head, "You sold helpless women and men of all ages to be tortured and raped. How the fuck can you expect me to allow you move around my fucking village freely? I will not pull one of my soldiers off their post to follow you around the village to be your fucking shadow."

"Let's be honest-" Diem yawned, "-you take one step outside these cells, those soldiers will be all over you. They won't tolerate something as disgusting as you walking about their home."

"But if you tell them to-"

"You want us to tell them to not go after a man who sold little girls and boys to the highest bidder?" Diem pulled his lips together. "Come on now honestly if you live through the night, I will be surprised."

"Reaper!" Bowie screamed as the commanders left the room to get dressed and ready for their next mission.

"We move out in an hour." Sakura said. "Only us and only Hazel's team, I am not risking anyone else's life on some half-baked bull shit."

"Agreed." Dawn nodded.

"Got it boss!" Diem waved as they went their separate ways to their homes.

\----

Sakura, Dawn, Diem and their best captain with her four manned team walked behind her as they blew into the Sand Village. Sakura opened her eyes and looked around, she dropped them off outside the village not wanting to get the sand shinobi involved. Sakura knew Gaara and he would want to help, but the truth was she didn't know what she was walking into and to risk his life seemed pointless. The air was dry and hot, Sakura could already feel herself sweating and she hated sand. She and her team trudged through the blazing desert on their way to their destination Bowie was sent.

"Hello-" A voice turned the ground around, Sakura watched people pulling themselves out of the sand reminding her of a low budget mummy film that failed.

"Ew." Diem muttered, "That's gross."

"-Reaper of Reapers." Sakura just watched them with a bored expression. "I have to say I am surprised I am looking at you right now!" The masked reaper laughed; a dozen of his friends pulled themselves into sight. "I definitely would of thought you would have brought more Waterfall soldiers with you."

"This was a trap." Dawn stated feeling extremely pissed off, she walked through this hot desert for nothing.

"Looks like we couldn't fool you!" One reaper to the side laughed, "Bowie really was telling what he thought the truth would be!" He laughed, "It was a way to lure your ass out which that did work." Sakura narrowed her eyes onto him, she wanted to see his blood sizzle in the hot sun in this damn sand.

"Now." The center reaper said walking a few feet closer to Sakura. "Let's cut the chit chat and get to the point, we are here to finish you off." The reaper pulled out a bright shiny red orb. "Well not us per say but someone is here to finish you off while you are still hurt-"

Sakura didn't wait to see who the orb controlled, she didn't wait to hear the rest of the story or more shitty jokes. Sakura and her team flew forward, almost vanishing from sight as they did so. The reaper who had the orb jumped out of the way, she ignored him for the moment and ran up to a side reaper who had mocked her she grabbed his head, snapping his neck. 

When Sakura began her training with Kaguya she was surprised to learn that unlike on television, it is quite difficult to snap someone's neck. In order to get an instant kill you need four things: swift flexion, extension with rotation, relaxed neck muscles and ridiculous amount of force. 

Sakura took her sword and ran it through the reaper who brown eyes. He looked down at his stomach as he watched his insides spill out into the sunny sand. Sakura turned from his sad dying moment and walked towards the blue eyes reaper who looked just stunned by the brutal act by a hero. She waved her sword with no mercy, cutting his throat without a damn in the world she was feeling fucking hot! Why would they pick the desert to ambush her? The heat only pissed her off more. Sakura then turned to the leader with the red orb, where was this person who was supposed to take her down at?

"Y-You are a monster." He breathed looking into her emotionless eyes. Behind Sakura Dawn, Diem, Hazel and her team were taking the remaining ten reapers down. Really the only issue for the waterfall soldiers was the damn sun!

Sakura moved to end this stupid waste of time until she saw a shadow falling towards her, she jumped back. Sakura quickly spun around and cursed under her breath. After burying Kakashi, Hinata and TenTen seeing People pop up from the dead really shouldn't surprise her, but he did. He stood before her wearing dark blue mesh armor with navy accents under a t-shirt with a simple white belt around the waist and dark blue pants.

"No fucking way." Diem breathed walking to stand beside Sakura.

"Are the Reapers down?" Sakura asked never removing her eyes from his glowing red orbs in front of her.

"You have to ask!?" Diem gasped acting hurt.

"Is that-?" Dawn asked walking up to Sakura's free side.

"Yup." Sakura said, "That is Itachi Uchiha, no one strike to kill!" Sakura called out to the black ops team behind her.

"Yes Commander!" The nodded.

"What do we do?" Hazel questioned. Sakura pointed her eyes to the only reaper left standing.

"Hazel your job is to take him down and shatter that orb he is holding."

"The orb?"

"It is controlling Itachi. Dawn, Diem and I will keep him at bay until then."

"Right away!" Hazel said running past Sakura as the masked reaper spun around running through the sand. Saura quickly tried to wrap a dome around him to seal him inside but it failed, instead it sent him running towards her. Sakura blocked his punch and flipped him backwards, she growled getting tired of feeling hot and sweaty!

Dawn and diem went to fighting with Itachi, Sakura noticed his movements were almost stiff as if he had been sitting inactivated for all the years, she thought he had been dead. Diem trapped Itachi inside a shadow jutsu, he tilted his head. Itachi's stiff body was a plus for them, it made him easy to trap.

"How long can you hold him?" Sakura wondered, thinking about going after Hazel and that reaper.

"Not sure." Diem shrugged, "If this was Itachi on any normal day this wouldn't hold him, but he just returned from the dead, so I have no fucking idea!"

"Awesome." Sakura breathed wrapping a dome around Itachi as an extra layer.

"Oh my God!" Diem gasped using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "Why the fuck do people live here!?"

"It is hot." Dawn nodded in agreement, she could feel her clothes sticking to her as her sweat soaked into her uniform. She could remove layers but that would allow the bright sun to scorch her skin leaving it burnt. Even her hair felt wet from her sweat, she hated this village!

"Let me go!" A voice shouted; Sakura turned her head as did the other commanders. Hazel and her team were walking towards her dragging the reaper through the uneven sand.

"Huh?" Dawn knitted her eyebrows together as Hazel tossed Sakura the red orb.

"Did you want him alive or dead?" Hazel questioned her.

"I don't care, I just needed this-" Sakura said shattering the orb in her hand. "-broken."

"You owe me fifty bucks!" One of Hazel's team members laughed to the other in the background. 

"I am surprised you caught him." Diem said.

"I am surprised you caught him." Hazel pointed to Itachi.

"Oh, this wasn't too hard." Diem brushed off feeling himself blush.

"Neither was he." Hazel looked at the reaper laying in the sand, "He didn't run very fast."

"What do you think Malachite is going to do when he finds out you lost Itachi?" Sakura wondered as she watched Itachi's eyes return red to their onyx color. The reaper glared up from Hazels foot placed on his back, keeping his face against the burning sand.

"Kill me and get it over with!" The reaper yelled,

"Mm...no." Sakura laughed, "I'm not going to kill you. I could never punish you as bad as Malachite is going to do when he gets his hands on you after word gets out that you lost one of his toys." Sakura said. The realization of how fucked the reaper was suck in. He had to run, he had to get away! Before the reapers closed in on him. The masked man didn't say another word, Hazle took the pressure off his back. He quickly scurried up and took off into the desert.

"He does know there is nothing out there right?" Dawn muttered to Sakura.

"I don't give a fuck." Sakura said looking at her, "I hope he gets cooked alive."

"Sakura, what is going on?" Itachi asked, causing all eyes to turn to him. He was looking around confused as to why he was standing inside a dome, Diem's shadow jutsu broke.

"You-You know who I am?" Sakura was stunned as she looked at her commanders, they were expecting him to be confused and have no idea who they were. Sakura thought he would awake with large gaps of missing memory just like Kakashi had.

"Of course, I do!" Itachi laughed,

"How do you remember her?" Dawn wondered.

"We are on the same team together."

"What team would that be?"

"The Nine."

"You remember the Nine?" Sakura said in disbelief.

"Why wouldn't I remember?"

"Because the others had large gaps in their memory when broken out of their trance." Diem answered watching Itachi.

"Others?" Itachi asked.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Being killed by Sasuke..." Itachi said looking down at his hands. "I remember seeing him again...being reincarnated but only flashes of when that happened, I don't remember why I was brought back or what I did, I just remember Sasuke. Why?" Sakura watched him for a moment. He remembered everything right up until his multiple last breaths. Why did he remember everything and not the others?

"Can you all stop looking at me like I am a lab rat?" Itachi asked annoyed at all the shocked faces.

"You uh...you're not even wondering why you're here?" Diem scratched his face.

"Hm...oh yeah..." Itachi said reflexing his fingers.

"Ugh!" Diem groaned. "I'm hot! Sakura can we go home!?"

"Yeah..." Sakura trained off still staring at Itachi Sakura's eyes shifted, the dome around him broke as her seal wrapped around them. Itachi's mouth dropped open taking in Sakura's glowing eyes and the strong wind that hugged them.

"Wow..." He breathed seeing they were no longer standing in the desert, they were home.

"Yes!" Diem sighed,

"Do you need us for anything else Commander?" Hazel bowed.

"No, your free for the day." Sakura answered, "As are you two."

"Yes!" Diem jumped, "Day off!"

"Are you going to be alright?" Dawn asked,

"I have a lot of explaining to do." Sakura nodded over to Itachi who was looking around the waterfall village.

"I see." Dawn smiled, "Have fun with that."

"Oh yeah." Sakura rolled her eyes as she called Itachi over to follow her,

"Do you still live in the same house?" Itachi asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"It was burnt down." Sakura answered remembering the small raid a group of soldiers put together trying to resurrect Purgatory, Sakura's house was among the damage.

"What the fuck-?!"

"Kaguya's deal about Purgatory still stands." Sakura explained as she unlocked her front door and let Itachi walk in.

"Nice place!" Itachi looked around.

"Thanks."

"Why does that thing about Purgatory still stand after a freaking year-" Sakura turned from locking her front door, he believed it had only been a year since she took over commander of this village. 

"Itachi..." Her voice was calm and steady in an attempt to keep him relaxed.

"Yeah?"

"I..." Sakura sighed as she pulled her hair down from the hair tie, it was giving her a massive headache. "...we are going to need drinks."

\----

"So, I have been gone for four years?" Itachi repeated. 

"Yes." Sakura confirmed. 

"And the Nine is no more." Itachi repeated rubbing his face trying to absorb the thought of missing years of your life.

"Yes." Sakura said confirmed. 

"Carver and Raiden live inside the Leaf Village." Itachi relayed the information he was just told.

"Yes."

"You're ok with the Leaf Village now?" Itachi's mind was blown!

"More or less." Sakura muttered thinking back to her 'meeting' with Tsunade, Minato and Kakashi inside the Hokage Tower a couple weeks ago.

"What else has changed?" Itachi leaned forward on the kitchen table, it felt like he was flung into the future! This both excited and saddened him at the same time, it was a confusing mix.

"Other than that, I mean..." Sakura laughed as the two of them had been sitting at her kitchen table talking for hours. She pulled a cold bottle of beer to her lips, "...I don't know what else to say."

"Wow...I can't believe the Nine fell..." Itachi shook his head,

"I'm sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing?" Itachi chuckled, "You had to bury them."

"Yeah..."

"Carver and Raiden, are they-"

"They are good." Sakura nodded, "They are really happy inside the Leaf Village and they fit in really well." Itachi reached over and smiled taking her hand in his.

"It feels like just yesterday I seen you." Itachi said, "I am so sorry I left you like I did."

"I get it." Sakura said, "You went out the way you wanted to, and we didn't get in the way."

"Thank you for that, I know it must have been really hard."

"You have no idea." Sakura laughed. "We missed you."

"I missed you too."

"No, you haven't you said you thought you just seen me yesterday!"

"You know what I meant!" Itachi smiled, Sakura had changed that was easy to see. Her hair was longer than before, she carried more weight on her shoulders than he remembered. But damn, she was still so beautiful as she smiled in his direction, his heart fluttered seeing her grin and the way her eyes lit up made Itachi feel at home, she made him not care years were ripped away from him he was just glad to be back with her. Itachi looked at the bottle in his hand, he died by Sasuke's hand. He felt he had paid for his sins maybe now he could live his life and have a future. "Where are you going?" Itachi wondered being pulled away from his thoughts.

"I am going to change." Sakura sighed, "You can probably find some old clothes of yours or some of Carver's could fit you upstairs."

"You kept my things?"

"Shut up." Sakura walked to her bedroom, Itachi felt warm knowing through the years she kept his things, it made him feel he could maybe start a new life with...possibly her.

After a long hot shower Itachi walked downstairs, he saw Sakura sat on her couch watching TV. His eyes instantly went to her long smooth legs inside those shorts and her blue tank top was ruffled up showing a little skin. When Itachi last seen Sakura she was a blooming seventeen year old he didn't feel right about letting himself feel things towards her but now, here she was sitting beside him as a stunning woman. 

"What-" Itachi cleared his throat sitting down. "-What are you watching?"

"Zombies." Sakura smiled causing Itachi to chuckle, he looked over taking his chance while she was distracted to take in her appearance. He didn't think it was possible, but she has grown even more attractive. "Are you hungry?" Sakura asked standing picking up her empty beer bottle.

"I-I am fine." Itachi smiled as she walked past him, his neck craned around to watch her walk away. Itachi liked how firm and plump her ass looked in those shorts, Itachi thanked the heavens commercials were invented so he could get this opportunity to watch her leave the room. 

"So-" Sakura said walking back into the room, "-I figured you could sleep in either Carver or Raiden's room. They have yet to come get their shit since they are living inside a different village." Sakura muttered to herself sitting back down as the show started back on the screen.

"Oh?" Itachi said, "They are going to clear out their rooms?"

"I don't really care if they do or don't, but I figured they would want their stuff." Sakura said leaning back against the couch with a bag of pretzels and a fresh beer.

"Could I take one of their rooms?" Itachi wondered.

"Why would you want to do that?" Sakura questioned, "I figured you would want to return to the Leaf Village."

"I...I don't know." Itachi said honestly.

"Hm." Sakura hummed, "I don't care, you can have a room if you want."

"Really?!" Itachi smiled,

"Yeah." Sakura shrugged. "I'm not usually around here much, I work a lot and travel around so..." 

"I could come with you." Itachi grinned.

"You should probably like, I don't know recover from returning from the dead?" Sakura laughed, "I thought for sure you would want to see your brother right away."

"I will." Itachi said, "But I don't want to jump into commitments just yet." Itachi knew if he returned home there would be no leaving due to his brother most likely clinging to him. Itachi wasn't sure if he wanted to go home, or stay here inside the waterfall village. 

"Oh yeah?" Sakura laughed pulling her beer to her lips, Itachi noticed something sparkling around her neck.

"What is that?" Itachi didn't know Sakura to wear jewelry.

"Huh?"

"That-" Itachi pointed to the long chain that was tucked into her tank top. She lifted the chain from her shirt and sat the end of it on his hand, Itachi's heart slammed into his stomach seeing a dazzling ring, "-a ring?"

"Yeah..." Sakura said, she took it from him and tucked it back into her tank top.

"Your engaged?!" Itachi breathed, the thought of Sakura wanting to get married with a white dress baffled him but the thought of her doing it with a man that wasn't him left him feeling unsettled.

"Was." Sakura corrected,

"Was?" Itachi breathed his chest deflated, why did that make him feel better?

"He died." Sakura explained the confusion on Itachi's face.

"I-I am so sorry." Itachi breathed,

"Yeah." She said turning back to the television screen, she was sorry too...


	42. Chapter 42

"Order up!" Ayame called placing Naruto's fourth bowl of pork chashu ramen in front of him.

"Thank you!" He muffled out as he tipped his head back filling his mouth with the flavorful broth, some dripped down his chin.

"You're an endless pit." Carver muttered watching Naruto eat next to him.

"That he is." Kakashi agreed inside a sigh, his arms were crossed over his chest watching Naruto pig out. Hinata had been on him the past few weeks to eat healthier, if he didn't cheat on his diet than once a week they come here, and Naruto can have whatever he wanted at any quantity he desired. Hinata smiled as she sat beside him nibbling on her food.

It was a warm day; the sun was bright with a clear sky and team seven had the day off. Naruto was ready to engorge himself on ichiraku ramen, then waddle his way home to watch TV with his girlfriend for the rest of the peaceful day.

"We are being replaced!" Raiden screamed running into the ramen shop full throttle, he dashed in between Naruto and Carver using the bright red bar rail as a stopping brake. Naruto quickly caught his precious ramen, spilling only a cup of broth from the white glass bowl.

"Raiden!" Naruto yelled seeing the wasted liquid, "You spilt my ramen!"

"Who cares about that!?" Raiden yelled as he was looking at his phone, furiously swiping on the screen.

"Have-Have you met me!?" Naruto yelled back; his voice rang inside Hinata's ears.

"What's going on?" Carver leaned on his arm wondering which part of the freaking sky was going to fall today.

"We are being replaced!" Raiden repeated.

"That...That tells me nothing." Carver rubbed the side of his head,

"Look!" Raiden held out his phone for everyone to see, he pressed play on a video he was sent.

(Song Choice – Play that song - Train)

Music played through the phone as Diem's stern face flashed onto the screen looking annoyed that he was being recorded; he reached his hand out to get the camera away from him. Carver watched the camera revealing Diem was standing in the middle of a crowd of people who all danced to the music and had alcoholic beverages in their hands.

"Ugh." Carver groaned seeing Diem, he could not stand the third commander of the waterfall village, but it was odd a guy like him was at a party. Dawn popped into the frame making Carver's mouth open slightly, now that was a person who truly hated fun. Kakashi leaned closer seeing the pink hair, Sakura was inside the video dancing to the music as she took a drink of the solo cup in her hand.

"See!" Raiden said.

"Why are they at a party?" Carver wondered to himself, seeing the three commanders were not in uniform.

"What is more-" Raiden spoke fast, "-this isn't the Waterfall Village!"

"How do you-?" Naruto went to ask,

"I have watched this video like ten times!"

"Why?"

"None of these buildings are inside the Waterfall Village!"

"Ok?" Carver said, "Maybe are they are on a mission?"

"On a mission?" Raiden laughed, "Sakura on a mission, not in gear? Really?"

"I don't know." Carver shrugged watching the video play on. "There could be hundreds of-" Carver cut himself off seeing Zander, Annora and Ian coming into view. Naruto knew that team, they were one of Sakura's black op teams. They were here for the party Raiden threw to try and get the leaf and waterfall villages to try and bond, which has been somewhat successful. 

"Right!?" Raiden said reading Carver's confused face.

"What the fuck are they doing there?" Carver wondered getting closer to the phone as if he could read the answers off the screen.

"I don't know!" Raiden gushed, "But wait-!" Raiden said keeping everyone's eyes on the screen. Naruto looked from the phone to Raiden and after five minutes Carver got annoyed. Who was holding the phone was what Hinata wondered?

"Is this clickbait or-"

"There!" Raiden said pointing to the phone, Carver sighed turning back the video, his jaw dropped open almost hitting the bar as he watches Ian lean over and kiss Sakura.

"What-" Carver said sharping his eyes on the screen as he watched Sakura's arm wrap around Ian's neck leaning into the kiss. "What the fuck!?" She looked like she was enjoying it! Kakashi stared blankly at the phone, it felt like someone had filled his lungs with ice water and he couldn't breathe. Ian broke the kiss but wrapped his arms around her, his hands trailed all over her body, Kakashi's fists tightened as he bit down on his jaw seeing Ian's hands on her hips as they danced to the music together.

"Right!?" Raiden yelled, "We are being fucking replaced!"

"What the fuck?!" Carver repeated as the video ended soon after that.

"Since when is she into that Ian guy?" Naruto wondered,

"I-I don't fucking know!" Carver laughed shaking his head. "Apparently there is a shit ton we don't know." Kakashi got up from the stool, leaving money beside his bowl and turned to leave.

"Kakashi?" Raiden called, "Where are you going?"

"I forgot I have something to do." Kakashi waved, "I'll see you all later tonight."

"Ok." Raiden shrugged as he pressed replay on the video trying to figure out where this party was taking place. Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets keeping his exposed eye on the sidewalk as he mindlessly moved through the leaf village.

Kakashi sighed bringing himself to sit on a bench on an empty street as the video of that other man kissing Sakura replayed in his head repeatedly. He shouldn't be feeling anything right now, if anything he should be happy, she wasn't still pining over Sasuke after all these years. The truth was Kakashi wasn't happy, he was angry every cell in his body burned seeing Ian's hands trail over her curves.

"Kakashi?" The masked shinobi looked up seeing his sensei looking at him confused.

"Minato Sensei?" Kakashi asked, straightening himself up.

"Is everything alright?" Minato asked turning to face Kakashi, a grocery bag hanging in his hand.

"Of course." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"I have known you far too long Kakashi." Minato smiled taking a seat beside him. "I can see past that mask of yours, so tell me what is bothering you."

"I...Its nothing." Kakashi said, how could he tell his sensei the only other man he truly respected other than his deceased father that he had these thoughts and feelings about his own student? The answer is he couldn't, he couldn't disappoint his sensei.

"You know you can talk to me about anything." Minato said.

"I know." Kakashi said with another fake smile. "There is nothing to talk about."

"Oh really?" Minato challenged,

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, Minato stared at his masked face for a long second.

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Will you tell Commander Haruno hello for me?" Minato smiled testing his buttons.

"Wh-What?" Kakashi stuttered coming undone at the sound of her name. "Wha-What makes you think I am talking to her?" Kakashi nervously laughed, Minato nodded finding the subject of Kakashi's distress.

"Are you not talking to her?" Minato asked,

"No!" Kakashi answered to fast and to emotional.

"So that's the problem." Minato said leaning back, "You can't get a hold of her?"

"W-What? N-No I-"

"Kakashi." Minato cut him off, "I can see the way you look at her."

"I..." Kakashi looked ahead of him feeling ashamed. "I am sorry Sensei..."

"Sorry?" Minato blinked confused. "What are you sorry?" He chuckled.

"Because-Because she is my student-"

"Sakura Haruno-" Minato intercepted the conversation again with a sigh, "-is not a student of yours."

"She-"

"No offence Kakashi-" Minato waved, "-but whatever time you had her on your squad had little effect on her."

"How can you tell?"

"Her fighting technique is old, almost a lost art." Minato said, "Which makes sense since Kaguya was the one who trained her."

"Oh." Kakashi responded.

"Yes." Minato lightly chuckled, "But Kakashi, I know you came back just as I did, and you can't remember your relationship with Commander Haruno-"

"Yeah?"

"-well...I couldn't believe a woman like that could have this village so wrapped around her finger, so I did some digging."

"Sensei?"

"Naruto adores her, I believe he loves that Commander more than he loves his own girlfriend." Minato said, "I was stunned when he defended her against me on multiple accounts, but I can see why."

"You can?"

"She placed herself without question in front of my son, saved his life while almost losing hers." Minato breathed. "She didn't blink, didn't so much as flinched when it came down to saving him, I would never have pegged her as the type to save him. But she did, and I owe her everything for that."

"I heard about that to." Kakashi muttered,

"Sakura Haruno is the rare type of person who can see in black and white, think in grey but love in color." Minato said looking into Kakashi's eye, "That type of person only comes around once in a millennium."

"I don't understand..."

"She strikes me as a person who isn't easy to get close to, she is rough around the edges and she has her fair share of damage as we all do, but she is a good person. Tsunade talked to me about you."

"She did?"

"Yes, she expressed how you have grown into an outstanding shinobi and I couldn't be prouder." Minato smiled making Kakashi blush under his mask.

"Thank you."

"Do you love this village?"

"More than I can say." Kakashi answered without thought, Minato nodded.

"You were going to leave it."

"I-I would never-"

"You never got the chance to speak to Commander Haruno about it." Minato said. "But you put in a request to be transferred to the Waterfall Village, you went under Haruno to her second in command Dawn who approved it."

"I-" Kakashi was speechless.

"Tsunade was utterly shocked when you have her your resignation, but then you showed her the ring you bought. You were ready to leave the village to be with her." Minato smiled, "You may not recall now, but there is no doubt in my mind that you two will gravitate towards each other. Tsunade said she never seen two people more meant for each other than when she saw you and Haruno together."

"I-" Kakashi breathed taking all this in. "I may be to late."

"What?"

"I pushed her away."

"I am sure-"

"I saw her kissing another man."

"She is here?"

"No, it was through a video."

"Have you asked Commander Haruno about this video?"

"No..."

"You know better than to jump to conclusions." Minato smiled,

"But-"

"For all you know off screen she could have slapped that man!" Minato laughed as he stood. "I think you should have a real conversation with her, and you need to do a little soul searching and stop looking at her like she is your student because she isn't, she proved that during the village bonfire when she could keep up with my speed."

"I know." Kakashi breathed, feeling pride that Sakura was able to stand beside Minato in skill.

"Talk to her Kakashi." Minato advised, "Better sooner rather than later!" He called walking away leaving Kakashi alone on the stone bench to go through his thoughts. He smiled to himself, he was really going to leave the village of her. Kakashi rose to his feet, he didn't have Sakura's phone number he was going to have to get it from Naruto. Carver or Raiden would just blow it out of proportion with childish assumptions, Naruto at least Kakashi could somewhat control his reaction...hopefully. Kakashi made his way to the apartment building he lived in, his entire walk he questioned himself on what he would say if he got to talk to her.

"Huh?" Naruto said turning from the refrigerator look at Kakashi. "You need Sakura's phone number?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Kakashi shrugged, "Lady Tsunade asked me to get it for her."

"Granny? I thought she had it?"

"I don't know." Kakashi repeated as he smoothly lied. 

"Hm." Naruto hummed scratching his arm as he found a pen and piece of paper. "I wonder why she needs it."

"Who knows." Kakashi muttered, his heart hammering praying Carver and Raiden don't come through Naruto's front door.

"Well, here you do." Naruto turned handing Kakashi a ripped piece of paper.

"Thank you." Kakashi smiled with his eye.

"What are you doing now, are you hungry-?"

"Maybe later-" Kakashi said turning to leave.

"Huh? Why later!?"

"I have to get this to Tsunade." Kakashi waved,

"Oh yeah..." Naruto nodded holding an instant ramen in his hand for a little snack, "Ok! I'll see you later then!"

"Don't eat too much of that, Hinata won't be too pleased-"

"Get out!" Naruto yelled throwing a couch pillow, Kakashi chuckled leaving the apartment. He swiftly moved through the hall without sound and entered his home, he sighed happy to have not been seen by anyone, he locked his door and pulled his mask down as he pulled his phone out from his pants pocket. He carefully typed the numbers into his phone, the closer he got to hitting the call button the more he felt his palms sweat and his heart pound. His mind worsened the moment by flashed back to them standing in his bathroom, him pinning her against the wall...Kakashi groaned feeling his pants tighten at the thought of touching her again. Without giving his brain a chance to doubt himself he pulled his phone to his ear calling her.

Ring...Ring...Ring...your call has been fast forward to an automated voice messaging system...

Kakashi cursed as he hung up standing in the middle of his apartment, he thought about calling her again, but that might seem a bit to strange. Kakashi moved to his room, let some time pass and then try her again. Sakura was the commander of a village; she was a busy woman.

Kakashi cooked a large personal stake, mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. He sat by himself inside his apartment with his phone beside him as he took his first bite, he wondered if he cooked for her. Carver and Raiden said he cooked for them a lot, and at that time they were her soldiers so she would have been around right? If he did cook for her, he wondered if she liked his cooking? What was her favorite food?

Kakashi sighed at the hundred tiny questions he wanted to know about her. As much as he fought the video kept replaying on a loop in his head. Ian taking her face in his large hands, kissing her the way he did like he had a right to, it pissed Kakashi off so much he lost his appetite. Kakashi knew from Sakura's comments that the two of them had sex but he couldn't remember, it infuriated him! He didn't remember running his hands over her hips as he thrusted into her, he couldn't remember how she moaned when he as he satisfied her—he satisfied her right? Kakashi shook his head, of course he did.

All the stories he was told about his life before awakening from the reapers was all blank inside his head. A piece of him still didn't believe any of those tails were true but he knew the agitated rage that had him shaking his leg annoyed she hadn't replied to a text or phone call was proving him wrong. He just wanted to talk to her, he just wanted to hear her voice. Kakashi needed to hear Sakura's voice whether that be through his phone, computer or in person he did not care he just wanted to be in contact with her!

\----

Ring...Ring...Ring...

"Your call has been fast forward to an automated voice messaging system."

Kakashi cursed under his breath again, he tossed his phone on the bed beside him rubbing a little feeling into his tired face. Two weeks of this, two weeks of trying to desperately reach out to her and nothing. No calls, no texts, not even an emoji, nothing! Kakashi was feeling stir crazy as he waited around, he bit the inside of his cheek as thoughts bounced around inside his head like building blocks constructing a plan.

The waterfall village was a long distance from the leaf , that was one of the main reasons the leaf village had nothing to do with them for so long. By foot it would take a week to travel there, Kakashi kept chewing the inside of his cheek thinking about all the time off he has saved up, he wasn't technically on team seven currently since Carver and Raiden took the two opening the team had, he didn't need to worry about them.

Kakashi could leave in the early morning but if he left, Sakura could return to the leaf village any second while he wasn't inside the village...there was a lot of factors Kakashi was considering. Kakashi opened his eyes and stood from the bed, Ian's face leaning down and kissing her played through his mind again, it was nailed into his brain. That was all he needs to tip the scale; he went the closet and began packing his bag.

Kakashi made a quick checklist of supplies he would need, he looked at this while walking to the Hokage Tower. He planned on taking two weeks off then go to the grocery store, a hot shower, good night's rest and then at dawn he would leave for the waterfall village.

"Yo-You want to do what!?" Tsunade stood from her desk.

"Two weeks." Kakashi raided two fingers,

"For what?!"

"Vacation."

"A vacation!? Your Kakashi you don't take time off!"

"I thought it would be a good time to start, I have the time saved up."

"You have the rest of your life saved up!" Tsunade responded,

"Is my request approved?" Kakashi asked, not giving any other detail. Tsunade groaned she had no choice but to give it to him.

"Very well!" Tsunade waved her hand annoyed, she wanted a vacation too! "Enjoy your freaking time off!"

"Thank you Lady Tsunade." Kakashi bowed his head before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Tsunade watched him wondering what the hell he had planned to be off work for two whole weeks, did he get a new collection of perverted books?

Kakashi's night was met with ease as he was left alone to shop in peace, eat his dinner, shower, double check to make sure he packed everything before heading to bed early. As planned when the sun began to wake up so did Kakashi, after a cup of coffee and a small breakfast he wrote a note that read: Went on vacation be back later, love Kakashi ♡ and taped it to his door for Naruto and the others to find. With his checklist complete Kakashi gave a careless wave to the guard as he walked through the gate leaving the village.

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

A yawn took over my mouth as I walked out of my bedroom, my hair pulled up into a messy bun to get it out of my way. Itachi was in the kitchen already dressed for the freaking day, how the fuck?

"Good morning." Itachi smiled watching me sit down at the kitchen table, he placed a hot mug of coffee in front of me.

"Thank you." I said sipping it.

"You were not joking when you said you worked a lot." Itachi commented multiple times a day at the large amount of work I did, it was so freaking annoying.

"Yeah well...commander and so on." I waved off not awake yet.

"What is the plan for today?" Itachi turned with scrambled eggs and toast.

"Um..." I tried to think but coffee did not work fast enough. "...a couple meetings, I have a thing at the River Village around noon-"

"Oh, I love that place!" Itachi smiled, "Can I tag along?"

"I am afraid not this time." I said, Itachi has been by my side every day since his return. I didn't understand why he didn't want to go see his brother; he hasn't even called Sasuke yet. "Besides today you're going to be busy with your own thing."

"I am?"

"Yes, I arranged for you to train with Dawn."

"Why?"

"You say you don't know what you want to do now and that's fine, you do you but in the meantime you should make sure you can you know...defend yourself." 

"I can defend myself!" Itachi argued as he ate his breakfast in front of me.

"How do you know?" I countered, "You haven't picked up a weapon or tried to use your chakra since you came back, and that's fine if you don't want to fight anymore that's your decision but I think training will do you some good."

"With Dawn?"

"You remember her?"

"Yes..." Itachi muttered clearly unhappy.

"My thing with the River Village shouldn't be too long."

"What thing."

"I'll explain later tonight." I sighed standing.

"You barely ate-"

"I woke up late." I said turning to the direction of my room. "I have meetings to get to-"

"When are you going to let Kaguya out?" Itachi wondered from the blue. I groaned; it was way too early for this shit. I picked up my coffee and pointed to him.

"Get dressed, she will be here soon to get you."

"I am not a child-!"

"Oh, you know where the training grounds are?" I questioned,

"The-"

"The ones that are in this dimension." I quickly added.

"Go get dressed." Itachi said losing the conversation making me laugh. It hasn't been that bad having him hanging out, I didn't mind it. He cooked and cleaned even though it was mostly him living here, it was still a nice gesture. I quickly got dressed in my uniform ignoring my messy bun hair for the moment hearing Dawn's voice coming from the living room. I moved out to see the two were already glaring at each other, I sighed leaning against the door frame.

"You want to kill each other, take it outside." I said.

"What?" Itachi laughed waving my concern off, "We are not-"

"Mhm." I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go." Dawn said turning to leave out the front door, she was always right to the point when I gave her a task, I loved that about her. Itachi let out a long groan as he shot me playful glare before following her, shutting the door behind him. I sighed finally alone felt kind of nice. I rolled off the door frame to go run a brush through my mane.

Finally dressed and somewhat functioning I could start my long day of paper meetings and getting poked and prodded by the river village, after I finished my cup of coffee of course, I yawned again checking my phone for messages.

Knock, Knock, Knock.

I heard the knock on the front door and felt confused, had Dawn or Itachi forgotten something? Even if they did, I know for a fact they would just walk in, the door wasn't locked. I stared at the front door for a moment until another round of knocking, who the fuck was messing with me this fucking early? I walked over feeling annoying purpose in each step as I gripped the doorknob and pulled open the annoying door that someone kept knocking on at fucking seven in the morning!

All tiredness and agitation evaporated from my body, I felt like I was kicked in the stomach, my lungs couldn't pull in air as I stared wide eyed at the masked man standing before me.

"K...Kakashi?" I shook my head feeling confused, why was I looking at him right now? How was I looking at him right now? "What are you-" Kakashi stepped into my house without an invitation, all I could do was stare at his masked face cluelessly as he locked the front door before turning to face me. I licked my lips about to speak until he slammed his hand on the wall beside my head, I hadn't even noticed I was leaning against a wall or had moved that far back.

My lips parted as Kakashi ripped his mask with annoyance written all over his handsome face.

"What-?" I breathed with so many questions.

"You kissed me." Kakashi stated leaning in closer, one whiff of his scent already had my knees buckling under me. "You kissed me first-" Kakashi moved his free hand and wrapped it around my neck. "-then you leave me. You vanish for weeks, then I see a video with you in it making out with another man!" I blinked confused,

"What are you-"

"Don't lie to me." Kakashi glared into my eyes with a rage I never seen in him before, it was a little hot...wait was he talking when Ian kissed me?

"That-" I went to defend my actions but Kakashi tightened his grip on my throat, his eye glowed.

"I don't care!" Kakashi snapped.

"Then why are you here?" I wondered, looking into his enraged eye. "Sensei?" I couldn't stop myself, I smirked at the name he has been wanting me to call him since he returned to the painful land of the living. He made it clear what I was to him, just a simple student.

"You-" Kakashi's breath fanned my face. "-do not call me that." He glared into my eyes, what? He bitched at me nonstop to call him 'Sensei' and now he doesn't want me to call him that?

"Why?" I challenged not backing down under his intense gaze.

"I have been trying to contact you for weeks!" Kakashi snapped at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I snapped right back,

"Did you find yourself a new toy, now you're not interested in me-?" I slapped Kakashi across the face without missing a heartbeat. Kakashi's looked stunned for a second before burning to glare into my eyes.

"Don't you dare stand there and call me a whore." I glared feeling anger, all lust I had previously been trickling with quickly flushed away. "You left me not the other way around. You decided you didn't want to be with me, despite all the stories everyone inside the village told you, despite what I told you and what I know you felt when you kissed me you decided to push me away. Don't you fucking stand there looking at me like I somehow cheated on you and I am the one at fault here!"

"You kissed-"

"He kissed me." I corrected with a laugh, "So fucking what? Even if I let him fuck me that night you have no say-"

"No." Kakashi breathed slamming his lips against mine, my eyes widened once again surprised by his actions. His hand left my neck snaking around my torso pulling me into him. I hated the way my body relaxed once it felt him. Kakashi forced his tongue into my mouth, he tasted every inch so quickly as if he was starving.

I felt a swirling almost fluttering emptiness sitting below my rib cage feeling insatiable, I knew what was coming this is how it always begins. Kakashi's kiss was not slow and gentle like I was used to. His lips felt hungry against mine, I could feel his kiss on the bottom of my stomach, his grip around me was tighter than usual.

Kakashi's hands left my body, I opened my eyes ready to slap him into next week if he was going to pull the same shit twice. I saw the smirk on his face, his hands gripped my ass lifting me as he pushed my back against the wall. The light flickered on and off, I could feel the light switch on the small of my back, but I did not care as I watched Kakashi strip his shirt off his body. My hands instantly found his bare chest, feeling the hard curves of his muscles under my fingers.

Kakashi dropped me to my feet, I didn't get a second to breath before he was stripping my clothes. I began to feel tingling between my thighs as Kakashi gripped my hair roughly kissing me before dropping and kicking his pants away. Kakashi bit my neck, collarbone and lips no doubt leaving evidence for tomorrow. I heard a gasp leave my lips as his hand slipped in between my legs. In that moment, my entire universe melted away and all I could concentrate on was the sound of Kakashi's breathing.

His muscular arms held my weight against the wall with ease, my legs wrapped around his waist. I felt his large member was hard, playing near my entranced as he teased me almost like a punishment.

"Kakashi." I breathed his name; I knew there was no rush, but I felt like there was this sense of urgency swirling around us because I was excited it had been a year since I had felt him dominate me.

"You-" He voice came out as a growl as he gripped and sucked at my breasts, my heart was beating so fast. All I could feel were his rough hands, his mouth and his body and I didn't give a damn about anything else, I had no other destination than to be here with him. "-have been gone for weeks."

What?

"I was working-" I tried to rationalize this pointless conversation, as Kakashi's fingers found their way inside me my back arched pressed my naked chest against him.

"No." He cut me off still pumping his fingers in and out of me, "That isn't good enough. I don't know how I was with you before I died but I damn sure won't put up with it now. You don't get to vanish from me without any word!"

"I-"

"Your life isn't just yours. There are so many people who love and care for you, we worry about you every day your gone."

"Kakashi...I..." I couldn't form a sentence to save my life, all I knew is my throbbed for him. I wanted him in every sense of the matter.

"No." An evil smile lurked onto Kakashi's face, "You have to earn your pleasure."

"What?" I didn't understand until I felt him remove his fingers. My mouth dropped open, did he just do all this, turn me on only to leave me halfway through!?

His large body engulfed me as he leaned down, whispering in my ear sending shivers down my back. "You're not going to be rewarded for bad behavior."

"Well-" I matched his wicked smile, if he wanted to play games... "-if you can't finish the job, I can find-" I didn't get to finish my thought before he threw us to the floor. He trapped my wrists above my head with one hand as his other gripped my neck pinning me against the floor.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you." He threatened,

"And why is that." I glared back as he pushed his way in between my legs.

"No other man will ever touch you again." Kakashi promised me.

"You don't get to-" Kakashi thrusting into my body cut my voice off as I gripped his shoulders, my nails digging into his back as he pounded into me as if that was his way of getting his point across. I heard moans leaving my mouth as I bit his neck, his hands gripped my hips tightly, not giving me an inch to wiggle away. His roughness with me only fueled the fire as I threw my head back the quick pain was beginning to morph into shivery hot waves throughout my body.

Kakashi was the one person I was willing to submit to, my mouth opened on its own as I felt my horizon coming into view. All my muscles disappeared from my control as a title wave of pleasure washed through me, my eyes rolled back as simultaneous explosions stole all my energy leaving my body shivering. It took me a second to realize my entire body collapsed onto the floor, Kakashi hovered over me panting as he looked at my flushed face and exposed body.

The dangerous thing about Kakashi was, his person felt like I was coming home after a bullshit of a day, he unraveled all my insecurities and made me feel safe enough to allow myself to melt into his being. That is why it hurt so bad when he died and left me alone. Kakashi laid beside me on the floor, I felt the layer of sweat coat my body as we caught our breath.

I looked over feeling him intertwining his fingers through mine, he was propped up on his arm looking down at me with a satisfied look on that annoyingly handsome face. I conquered up some strength to pull myself off the floor.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked sat up sounding unhappy I had moved.

"Shower." I answered moving into the bathroom without saying anything else to him, my heart was pounding and my head spinning in circles. What the fuck did this mean? As I turned the shower on my mind flashed back to Kakashi walking into my house, he sat a bag down by the door...had he traveled all the way here? Of course, he fucking did what else was he going to do fucking grow wings and fly? I shook my head at my own stupidity.

I stepped into the glass shower and frowned feeling a presence behind me, I turned seeing him.

"Ugh." I groaned. "This does not save water!" I snapped.

"I know." He smirked looking down at me, I glared at him as he pushed my head under the running water.

"What-"

"Your dirty." Kakashi stated, "Shower." I grumped words under my breath but turned around anyway.

"Are you going to tell me why you are here?" I asked sounding annoyed, I didn't mean to, but my voice came out harsher than I meant it. "Seems like a long way to go for a booty call." I smirked but he frowned reaching over to brush his fingers over my wet face.

"I am here for you." His answer sent my heart soaring and I couldn't stop the smile from blooming on my face as I turned to face the running water, but even though these were pretty words the last time I seen Kakashi he was an ass.

"You made it pretty clear you didn't want-"

"When I saw that man-" Kakashi sighed sounding like this wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

"What man?" I turned around.

"In that video." He said, I shook my head still not having a glue what he was speaking about. "You were at a party with your Commanders, you danced with another man and made out with him." I nodded knowing what he was talking about now, but I wasn't aware someone had been recording.

"His name is Ian." I said smiling at Kakashi's annoyed face, he didn't give a damn about his name.

"I wanted to reach through the phone and rip him apart." Kakashi brushed my hair out of my face.

"We were inside the Moon Village." I licked my lips grabbing my shampoo, "They hired me to track down a thief who had been breaking and entering their banks. Their local authorities were at their wits end, so I agreed to the job. We were undercover and closing in on an expected target when Ian kissed me, I couldn't exactly push him away at the time. I would have drawn unneeded attention to us possibly blowing our cover and the whole mission."

"I see." Kakashi nodded, looking a little more relaxed knowing the truth. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"Your what?" I asked washing the soap out of my long hair.

"I called you-" Kakashi's fingers lightly brushed over my stomach, "-and texted but you never responded."

"I never got anything from you." I looked up at him, "I checked my phone just this morning."

"That moron." Kakashi sighed making me smile,

"You got the number from Naruto, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"You know he has a terrible attention span and probably wrote down the wrong number." I explained what most likely happened.

"Yeah." He breathed, his hands never leaving my body. "Why hadn't you stopped by the village then?" Kakashi questioned me.

"Stop by?" I asked moving so Kakashi could get under the water. "Did you think I still had a reason too?"

"Carver and-"

"I know they are safe and now officially living inside your village." I cut him off, "I don't need to be worried about them, and I can't check on them like they are my soldiers because they are not."

"But they are still your friends."

"And I still have a village and an army to run." I countered.

"You had me-"

"Did I?" I questioned looking into his eye, "Last I seen you, you weren't too keen on the idea of being seen around the Reaper."

"Sakura I...I am sorry for that." Kakashi pulled me into a hug. "I was ignorant and stupid..." He trailed off,

"And?" I asked earning a chuckle from deep inside his chest, the best kind of laugh I can earn from him. "Keep going."

"I am sorry, I was so stuck on the thought of you being my student that I forced you away because you were evidence that I wanted to refuse." Kakashi kissed my forehead.

"You were an ass."

"I was, but you were right."

"I am always right." I scoffed,

"Yes." Kakashi smiled,

"But what was I right about?" I wondered, Kakashi leaned over making my back press against the wall of the shower.

"I do want to be the man fucking the Reaper." He breathed against my lips, water from the shower head poured down soaking his hair dripping onto my face as I leaned into his kiss. 


	43. Chapter 43

...I feel...safe...

I felt like no one in the world could touch me while I laid under his warm embrace with his muscular arms around my waist holding me close, this stated of being that was filling every cell in my body was indescribable. I loved sharing body heat with him, my head rested on his bare chest as I listened to his relaxed heartbeat thumping away. Saying I had missed this couldn't begin to explain the emptiness that echoed through me at night when I laid in bed without him.

When I looked up at him, I just knew and that all I knew in this moment. I didn't care about anything or anyone else, I didn't care I was missing all my meetings, my training session, or blowing off the river village who was only looking for an antidote for the reapers poison due to my request. Lying beside him again after an entire year I knew he was my home, when I looked into his face I could see myself in twenty years down the road with him still by my side and this was a thought I never had before.

I always expected to die in battle, I never wanted a house in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors around before now. I was trained ready to die, trained to accept the ultimate price for freedom. Just like he had done before he died Kakashi had me questioning my life and my future I thought about his ring sitting on my kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry." Kakashi chuckled after a silent hour of laying in my bed.

"Huh?"

"Did I interrupt your day?" Kakashi smirked looking at me, he was amused he messed up my day I saw he held my phone which held many missed calls and messages.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked laying my head back on his chest.

"I don't have your number." He muttered; I opened my eyes he has done this once before. I smiled feeling like this man was my Kakashi...I felt myself start to drift off as he turned on his side pulling me into his embrace, he snuggled his head against mine and I was fast asleep.

I woke up alone in my bed, I slowly sat up rubbing my face before looking around my empty room. If that had all been a dream, I swear I am getting drunk today. I pulled up with a yawn moving into the living room when I smelt food. I turned my head seeing Kakashi was cooking, my mouth slightly opened seeing I had not had a hot steamy dream about my ex, he was actually here in my house.

"Your awake." Kakashi noticed me.

"Uh...Yeah?" I moved closer to him,

"Are you ok?" He turned hearing my confused tone, after a second a devilish smirk crossed his face. "Are you just sore?"

"I am not-" I glared moving but stopped feeling slight pain between my legs. "-fuck you." I said annoyed as he laughed.

"I'm ready to go again if you are." He taunted before pointing to the table "Sit."

"I eat there-"

"I am feeding you." Kakashi clarified setting a plate of four cheese chicken penne down, which was my favorite dish. I gravitated to it, as I sat down Kakashi hovered over me. "But I'll eat you out right now on this table-"

"Food." I cut him off as I bit into the pasta, I opened my eyes surprised by how freaking amazing it tasted. I saw the victory smile on his face as he turned to the stove, but I didn't care I inhaled half the plate. "Wait-" I muttered; he has never made this for me before. "-how did you know-?"

"I know many things." Kakashi answered not even letting me finish, I rolled my eyes. Did he ask Carver or Raiden about me? Did he feel embarrassed that he had to ask and couldn't remember or was it his man pride getting in the way?

"You really traveled all the way here?" I wondered that thought was crazy to me for some reason, his back faced me.

"Mhm." He hummed turning to face me.

"Why?"

"I already told you."

"All you said was you were here for me." I leaned back in the chair.

"Yes." Kakashi finally turned around.

"That could be interpreted a lot of different ways." I leaned on my right arm.

"I don't know how about you-" Kakashi said walking to my side, my heart rate increased as he leaned over me. "-but I wouldn't walk thousands of miles, travel for a full week in shitty weather for just anyone."

"You have done more for less on missions." I said,

"Yeah." Kakashi laughed, "Right when I get to the employers house, I always rip their clothes off and have sex with them on the floor."

"It could happen." I shrugged with a smile, "I don't know your life."

"Yes, you do." Kakashi said, his eyes saddened for a moment as he cupped the side of my face with his hand, "I may not remember yours, but you know mine."

"So, you don't sleep around with people who hire you as a hobby?" I joked, "What a shame."

"Oh really?" His warm breath in my ear sent shivers down my arm. "You can have me for free if you-"

"I-" I quickly stood up feeling myself getting turned on again. "-need to get going."

"Going?"

"Yes, that is what I said."

"Where?" Kakashi questioned me,

"I missed two meetings already." I said looking at him, "I have two hours before the next one and-"

"What I hear is I get you for two more hours." He said looking so good as he leaned against the table.

"No." I laughed, "This time of day I train."

"You train?" Kakashi looked interested, "Train with your soldiers or...?"

"Not today." I answered, "I usually train alone on Sundays."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." I nodded; training alone helped me clear my head it relaxed me; it was the one thing I looked forward to throughout my long week.

"I'll join you." Kakashi invited himself,

"Er...wouldn't you rather sleep?" I tilted my head, "You had a long trip and then-" Kakashi's sly smirk fluttered my heart.

"I know you can remember how long I can go-"

"I'm getting dressed now." I said walking out of the kitchen, I heard him chuckling making me smile to myself.

\----

I felt the eyes on Kakashi and myself as we walked through the village, he was looking around at every building and person.

"Stop looking like a tourist." I muttered at him.

"What?" He turned to me. "I just want to see the place you live."

"Why?"

"You consider this place your home." Kakashi smiled under his mask, "I want to see it everything that has to do with you." His sugar words were sweet, but I felt a hard lump in my chest as I locked eyes on multiple soldiers who looked questionable from me to him. I could see it in their eyes as they debated inside their heads if they could use Kakashi as a tool to bring me down. Even though he had already seen all these sharp edges of mine and accepted how dark they were, I still found myself wanting to shield him from this side of me. 

"What are you thinking about?" Kakashi questioned me. 

"Nothing." I muttered. 

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"How do you know what nothing looks like?"

"Because I have been Naruto's sensei for many years." Kakashi chuckled making me smile,

I led Kakashi away from the training grounds, away from the buildings and people who were breaking their necks trying to peak at the stranger walking beside me. I couldn't blame their reaction, the only people who were normally around me were Dawn, Diem or Kaguya...eh...Kaguya...I sighed dreading that conversation when I released her.

"Where are we?" Kakashi wondered,

"Pretty far off the trails." I answered,

"Why are we here and not at your training grounds?"

"Because I don't use those." I turned to him, "Not many people come this far out."

"You do?"

"Yeah." I nodded, "I run these trails." I said as I stepped through thick bushes into a nice clearing from the thick vegetation, I had only been here a handful of times, but I liked how soft the grass was.

"Is this where you want to train?" Kakashi questioned, I nodded as a response. I reached down to my leg and unstrapped the gun. I set it beside a tree for safety reasons I didn't train with it on my person. I reacted faster than he believed I would. I blocked his kunai with my own, the clanking of metal against each other stung my ears as I kicked him away.

"Ha!" I laughed, "Playing dirty I see."

"Dirty is the one way-"

"Yeah-Yeah I get it." I waved off watching him. "You're a perv the entire leaf village knows-" I laughed as he ran towards me, I dodged his punch reacting with a swift kick in the direction of his head but he annoyingly ducked it his silver hair brushed across my leg as I spun, using his shoulder to flip over him so he couldn't grab me.

"Your very bendy." Kakashi growled turning around to face me, I shrugged. "I like that."

"Is everything sexual to you?" I asked,

"Only when it comes to you." Kakashi smiled with his eye we continued to go hand to hand, it was refreshing to be evenly matched. I grabbed his wrist stopping him from hitting my side, with my healing gash that would have hurt like a mother fucker! Kakashi spun around my body, I looked in the direction he was going but frowned not seeing him, my muscles tensed either waiting for him to land a hit or getting ready for me to spin around in search for him.

Kakashi's hand grabbed the front of my neck, pulling me backwards. I almost elbowed him in the stomach until his lips crashed into mine, my eyes widened feeling him kissing me. His free arm held me up as his hand rested on my shoulder, almost in a soothing manner telling me everything was fine, we were safe, but the training was over.

"Kaka-"

"Shh." He said, pulling me into a hug as he deepened the kiss. I felt the rough material of his flak jacket, Kakashi's lips were hot as his tongue forced its way into my mouth without permission. His kiss was different than from this morning, he didn't feel as desperate for my touch and when I cracked my eyes open I didn't see lust engulf the orb of his eye, I saw...dare I say affection?

I removed my gear as Kakashi took his clothing off, I looked over and froze seeing he was just staring at me.

"What?" I asked looking behind me checking to see if we had been caught.

"Your beautiful." Kakashi breathed, I blinked looking at him for a second.

"That's a boring way of describing me." I said with a tilt of my head, a smile bloomed across his face as he closed the space between us. Stripping the rest of our clothing was easy, I stood on my toes getting closer so I could kiss him. I felt myself becoming wet as his hands trailed over my naked body, gripping my ass tightly as he spread my legs. 

A sharp pain struck my lower abdomen, but it quickly fell to a distant memory as he pumped himself inside me, I leaned my back against his chest with his arm wrapped around me, his hand resting on my stomach. I could feel his palm imprint on my neck as his fingers tangled themselves into my hair, it all felt so good as the sensation of him moving in and out of me made me aware of nothing but my body against his.

We snapped our heads to the left, hearing a branch snapping a few yards away. Who the fuck ventured this far out from the village into these twisting trails? Kakashi and I quickly broke apart, scrambling to gather our clothing and take cover behind a large oak tree from the incoming people. I silently laughed as he masked my body with his, Kakashi gazed at me with a sparkle in his eye.

"My gun." I gasped, mindlessly touching my bare leg where it usually rests. Kakashi gripped tightened hearing two people move within our ear shot.

"Come on you're so out of shape!" Dawn laughed, I let out a breath shaking my head. I should have known she would start to use the same workout routine I did and come onto these trails. Then again, I didn't see the problem in using these paths because I assumed Kakashi and I would be just training.

"I-I am not." A deep voice gasped out as a response. I didn't recognize that voice but whoever he was he was definitely out of shape. Kakashi had leaned down continuing to nip and suck on my collarbone and neck. I smiled hearing the two finally get far enough away I gasped out, gripping his soft locks.

"That was a close one." Kakashi muttered,

"I didn't know she used this path." I replied,

"She would have gotten a free show." Kakashi deeply chuckled earning a blank look from me,

"We should probably get back; it has been more than two hours-"

"No." Kakashi said I blinked, about to replied when he kicked my legs out from under me. He took us both down to the soft grass.

"I am confidant now-" I nodded, "-you have a weird thing for nature."

"Huh?" Kakashi looked up from nibbling on my stomach, I shook my head I guess he wouldn't remember and trying to explain it would hurt my head.

"Never mind." I breathed as I smirked quickly flipping us around, Kakashi looked shocked for a moment.

"Sak-" I ignored him as I cradled his hips with my thighs, I began to ride him, hearing him groan was the honest to God best sound I have ever heard in my life. My hands travel across his pecs and over his toned abs, as I felt a slow smirk slide onto my face. I clamped my legs around his waist, driving him further into me and then suddenly I stopped moving. After a second Kakashi opened his eye quickly looking to me.

"Are you ok?"

"Mhm." I hummed with a smile and a nod, I wanted to deprive him of his pleasure and get a little pay back in for this morning.

"Then why did you-" Kakashi studied me, I could feel his large member throbbing, it felt tormented by the desire for me to continue. "-I am going to punish you now." He stated, I laughed not realizing he wasn't joking. His arm snaked around my body, keeping me safely against him as he flipped us back around.

"What are you-"

"You-" Kakashi growled thrusting harshly into me, I gasped from the flashes of pain and pleasure mixing to make the perfect cocktail. Kakashi copied what I had done, but he did it smarter. He slowly moved back and forth enough to keep me going but not enough to get me or him off.

"Kakashi." I sighed feeling frustrated already, fucking karma!

"Nope." Kakashi smiled leaning over me. "I am not rewarding your bad behavior."

"It wasn't bad behavior." I muttered,

"Yes, it was-"

"I was experimenting." I lied quickly.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Do you really think I am going to buy that-"

"You're the only guy I have been with." I said knowing I could only pull this card once, but I was feeling like I was about to explode leaving tiny little atoms behind. "We didn't get a chance to-"

"Wait-" Kakashi shook his head, "-you haven't--and I was your--" I nodded knowing he wouldn't remember. "I-" Kakashi sighed, looking away from me for a moment. "Alright." He said looking back to me.

"Hm?" I said with big eyes trying to look innocent.

"What is the magic word?" He asked,

"Huh?" I asked, what the fuck was he talking about? Magic word...?

"Sensei?" I asked, Kakashi quickly reached grabbing my neck leaning inches from my face.

"You. Don't. Call. Me. That." His voice was beautifully dark and rough,

"Touchy." I muttered; magic word I was sure we never had this conversation before. Was he switching conversation between women? He was staring at me waiting as he hovered over torturing me! I was not going to call him daddy, that reminded me of Sasuke and his weird fetish.

"Your running out of time." Kakashi breathed against my neck, biting my ear as he blew hot air into it.

"Mngg...Kashi." I don't know where that came from, but I got a reaction from him his face looked shocked but began full pumps in and out again. I groaned, feeling myself shudder against his hot body, my legs quaked, and I felt my finish line running towards me.

"Good girl." Kakashi breathed into my ear as our sweat slicked bodies slid together.

\----

I looked around the peaceful forest hearing nothing but birds chirping around us.

"It's hot here." Kakashi complained lying beside me.

"Well yeah..." I laughed. "There's a pond not to far from here, you want to go for a swim?"

"Will you go like this?" Kakashi asked gazing up and down my naked body.

"No, I am going to put my uniform on and then go swimming in water." I mocked as he laughed sitting up.

"Led the way." Kakashi said grabbing the pile of our clothing. The pond wasn't far, only a couple yards from where we originally were. The water was a clear blue, Kakashi wasted no time jumping into the refreshing water. I smiled as I followed walking, this would cool us down, clean the sweat and other things off. I pulled my lips together in a thin line thinking we had no towels, how were we going to dry ourselves off after this?

"Sakura." Kakashi called my name, I looked over in time to watch him grab my hand. He pulled me onto him as he floated on the water's surface. I laid my head on his chest as I enjoyed the stillness of this moment, laying on Kakashi like he was a floaty was fun. Him dragged his fingers across my back lightly making me feel relaxed and a little sleepy. 

After soaking in the sun for an extra hour, Kakashi and I finally pulled on our clothing over wet bodies and made our way back to my house.

"So-" Kakashi broke the peaceful silence bubbled around us. "-you live alone?"

"Where did that come from?" I wondered,

"I can't ask questions about you?"

"Mm...no." I smiled at his annoyed look.

"Do your Commanders live with you?"

"No." I answered, "Dawn and Diem both have their own houses."

"I see." Kakashi nodded looking ahead.

"You went snooping around my house while I was asleep, didn't you?" I asked, he lightly flinched at those words.

"I-I didn't--I was looking for the bathroom-"

"My team use to live with me." I cut him off, "Before they died, Carver and Raiden's belongings are still in my house. I don't know if they are procrastering due to just being lazy or if they are holding off because of me."

"Because of you?"

"In their eyes, or in at least Carver's the two of them moving to the Leaf Village in their own way was leaving me behind. Clearing out their rooms would just finalize the fact they are no longer my soldiers or on my team." I explained.

"Do you feel that they are leaving you behind?"

"No." I said, "I am glad they are inside your village; I know they are safer there than here."

"I don't like that." Kakashi said.

"Don't like what?"

"How aware you are of how dangerous this village is." Kakashi looked at me, "Your completely fine with it."

"Yeah well...this is my home."

"I am your home." Kakashi quickly replied, "Naruto, Hinata, Carver and Raiden is your home. A destination with buildings and street signs is not what makes a home."

"I know." I smiled at Kakashi.

"Then why are you still here?!" Kakashi growled, "Come home, you can stay with me-"

"I made vows-" I sighed; "-I swore to protect this village until my last breath."

"Half of this village is trying to kill you!"

"And the other half isn't." I remained calm, "If I leave who protects them?"

"Your Commanders, it is their job."

"Just as it is mine." I reasoned, clearly annoying Kakashi further. "You and your team have already tried this many times."

"Tried what?"

"To get me to abandon my village and go to yours."

"Can you blame us?" He breathed as my house came into view.

"Yes." I nodded, "Yes, I can. You all are very persistent and it's annoying."

"We just want you to ourselves." Kakashi shrugged.

"None of you wanted me before I was banished-" I muttered Kakashi stopped walking, he pulled me to face him with a hard look in his eye.

"I didn't know you-"

"You said it took you four days." I breathed.

"What?"

"Four days to realize I was missing." These words felt like annoying rocks sitting inside my stomach, "It shouldn't have even taken you one to notice I wasn't around."

"Sakura I-"

"I don't want to hear it." I turned, "There is nothing you can say-"

"I cared for you-" Kakashi blurted, causing me to look back at him. "-that is why I was distant like I was. The reason I never trained you alone like I did with Naruto and Sasuke was because I didn't trust myself alone with you."

"Kakas-"

"I knew the right thing would have been to transfer you to a different team, but the thought of you being out in the field without me watching over you drove me insane."

"Then you were reckless." I said, "You put yourself before your student."

"I did." Kakashi nodded, I smiled looking at the ground.

"You have no idea how much I had to suffer because of your mistake." I watched the shock expression spread across his face. "However-" I sighed feeling their chakra inside my house, "-there is an old comrade of mine staying with me, and I have a feeling you're not going to like who it is."

"Why is that?" Kakashi questioned as we continued to the house,

"Every time you two came near each other, you always ended up fighting." I answered opening the front door, as I was expecting Dawn, Diem and Itachi were sitting inside my living room.

"Sakura." Itachi smiled,

"Where the hell-" Diem stood, everyone shut up once their eyes landed on Kakashi behind me.

"I-Itachi?" Kakashi breathed, he looked confused as he turned to me for answers.

"Itachi was on my team before Sasuke killed him." I closed the front door.

"He was?" Kakashi's eye never left mine.

"Yes." I said moving to sit on the couch beside Dawn who looked between Itachi and Kakashi's standoff.

"So, this is where you have been all day." Diem sounded amused, I decided to remain silent as I watched the two men who were once friends turned enemies by twisted fate.

"Kakashi." Itachi stared at the masked man I had wasted my entire day having sex with. "It so good to see you." He breathed looking relieved, after Itachi's death the truth about him being a spy for the leaf village spread through the villages and most likely got back to Kakashi, would he remember that though?

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, reaching a handout to him. "How are you-"

"I returned?" Itachi laughed looking at me, "Sakura saved me."

"She did?"

"Yes, I returned under the Reapers control."

"Yeah." Diem muttered, "We weren't there and didn't help at all."

"I-" Kakashi smiled under his mask, "I am a little shocked to see you."

"Imagine me!" Itachi grinned,

"Sasuke hasn't said anything about you being alive or..."

"He doesn't know." I informed.

"Why?" Kakashi clearly did not understand and neither did I.

"Why is that?" Diem wondered, "Why have you been hanging around here the past few weeks and not with your brother that you would never shut up about."

"I will return into Sasuke's life when the time is right." Itachi explained.

"Hm." Dawn nodded pulling herself to her feet. "That doesn't answer any of our questions, you're just sitting around here sounding like a damn old fortune cookie."

"I am not." Itachi replied.

"You are." Diem sighed. "I'm hungry let's go get food, Sakura you-"

"I can't." I said, "But you can take them." I gestured to Itachi and Kakashi.

"Alright." Diem shrugged, "You guys."

"I'm fine." Kakashi and Itachi stated unison at Diem who held his hands up.

"Okie." He breathed following Dawn out of the house, I moved to the kitchen where my laptop was resting on my table. I had so much shit to do it numbed my freaking head. Kakashi sat beside me as I opened my computer, I looked at him as he pulled out a book. I recognized it as the one I had given him as a gift.

"Where have you been all day Sakura?" Itachi wondered coming into the kitchen from a shower, I looked away from the screen for only a second.

"I was in the village." I answered,

"That doesn't-" Itachi sighed, "-alright...Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kakashi wondered looking away from his book.

"You're still a Leaf shinobi correct?"

"I am."

"You're inside the Water-"

"I am on vacation." Kakashi smiled with his eye. I tilted my head...Kakashi plus vacation...why did that sound weird?

"Vacation?" Itachi went on to question as he sat across from me, my brain was beginning to feel numb from this conversation.

"Well this has been fun." I interrupted, "But I have a lot of work to do so...go away." I didn't know what annoyed me most, the fact the two men at my table didn't so much as move an inch or that they both laughed.

"If anyone needs a vacation at this table, it is you Sakura." Itachi smiled.

"Says the man who had been taking a dirt nap the past four years." I muttered causing him to smile, the rest of the night Kakashi and Itachi remained at the kitchen table with me in silence.

A week flew past my village like a dusty breath of air. Kakashi and Itachi both were staying inside my house; they followed me wherever I went, my two commanders came over as much as they possibly could to annoy me and watch the show.

I sighed, leaning back against the couch listening the two bicker back and forth about dinner once again. I glared over the back of the couch, my laptop in my lap as I tried to finish these documents. My eyes involuntarily trailed over Kakashi's toned muscles. Kakashi turned from Itachi and moved towards the island where I watched him pick something up. I touched my neck seeing it was my necklace with his ring and Naruto's star charm on it.

"That is Sakura's." Itachi informed seeing Kakashi looking at it.

"I know." Kakashi said. "I gave it to her." My heart fluttered as I pulled my lips into a thin line seeing Itachi's ambivalence face. I turned back around to look at my computer and pretend I had been ignoring them.

"Sakura!" Itachi boomed as he moved into the living room.

"No." I answered.

"You-You said the man who gave you that ring died!"

"He did?" I said looking up, Kakashi was standing beside Itachi with his hands in his pockets looking so fucking annoyingly attractive doing nothing!

"But he-" Itachi turned to Kakashi. "-Kakashi said he was the one who—I am confused!"

"Kakashi and I were engaged." I closed my computer seeing I was not getting anything else done tonight.

"But-he-you and-what!?" I could almost see Itachi's mind tripping over itself trying to wrap around this concept.

"Kakashi proposed to me before he died by a Reapers hand."

"But he is right here!" Itachi said pointing to him.

"Yeah. He returned same as you did."

"Then-"

"Kakashi doesn't remember." These words still hurt like knives cutting into my flesh. "He doesn't remember being with me." He was standing right there; I could reach out and touch him. The past week he and I have been sneaking off every chance we got...so why did these words still hold so much weight over my head?

"Wh..." Itachi breathed looking like someone just dumped cold water over his face.

"Why does this matter?" I wondered as Kakashi moved and sat beside me.

"Are you...are you two...Kakashi why are you here?" Itachi breathed out.

"I'm here for her." Kakashi answered looking into my eyes burning my heart with his deep voice and buttery words.

"But you don't remember her?"

"I don't." Kakashi turned to him, "But I cared for Sakura long before she became Commander of this village."

"Why does this matter?" I repeated not understanding why any of this was a conversation right now.

"Excuse me." Itachi breathed turning to the front door.

"Where are you going?" I asked,

"I just need some fresh air." Itachi flashed a smile before leaving.

"That was weird." I muttered.

"Itachi is a weird man." Kakashi responded, pulling his mask until it rested on his chin. Itachi's odd behavior leaked from my mind as Kakashi's lips touched mine. I wasn't sure if Itachi returned through the night, I was happy that Kakashi and I were able to make it to my bedroom before he got my clothing off.

When morning came, I yawned as I stretched my arms and arched my back. I heard a deep chuckle beside me.

"What?" I sleepily looking at Kakashi.

"Nothing." He smiled down at me as my head rested on his stomach. "Are you hungry?"

"Mhm..." I sighed closing my eyes. "...more sleep." I muttered pulling my warm blanket over my shoulders. I was so tuned into listening to Kakashi's heartbeat, I almost didn't hear someone trying to open my bedroom door. It was unusually locked this morning, and that person ran into the thick oak wood. Kakashi moved me off him, gently laying me on my bed as he pulled his mask over his face. I sat up rubbing my face with a yawn on my lips.

"Good morn-" I looked over seeing Itachi's stunned composer, he looked from Kakashi then to me. I blinked a few times as I tried to wake up.

"What?" I tilted my head as my body willed me to lay back against the mattress as Kakashi's large shirt offered me a cocoon of warmth.

"What are..." Itachi breathed, after a moment he cleared his throat. "I made breakfast."

"You can cook?" I wondered as I gave into my urges and laid back down.

"Yes."

"We will be there in a moment." Kakashi's darkened tone opened my eyes as I saw he had positioned himself in front of Itachi, he closed the door without hearing Itachi's response.

"What was that about?" I asked,

"What?"

"Your-"

"I don't like other men checking you out when your half naked."

"I am not—Itachi was not checking me out." I sat up, Kakashi crawled onto the bed and over my body pushing me down.

"He is a man." Kakashi growled, "He has eyes, he was checking you out."

"He was not, he is like my brother-"

"I can see." Kakashi kissed my neck. "I watched him engulf your exposed skin the first chance he got."

"He is famil-"

"Does he feel the same?" Kakashi questioned,

"Yes."

"That-" Kakashi pointed to the door with his messy hair. "-was not a brother walking into his sisters' room. Haven't you wondered why he hadn't returned to the Leaf Village?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, running my fingers over his shoulder. "I'm sure coming back from the dead is confusing and-"

"He is here for you." Kakashi interrupted, "He knows once he steps a foot inside the Leaf Village Sasuke will be all over him."

"And?"

"He wants to be with you." Kakashi sighed, "He wants to stay inside this village where he can be close to where you are."

"That is the stupidest-"

"I know-" Kakashi snapped, "-because that is what I want to do."

"You...You don't want-"

"I did." He breathed with a flash of pain in his eye, "I was ready to leave my village to follow you." I cupped the side of his face, every fiber of my being wanted to have the ability to fish the pain from his eyes. 

"I would never let you."

"I know." He smiled, "That's why I went behind your back, but I died before I could tell you."

"You were..." I shook my head, "You were going to leave the-" I couldn't finish my sentence as I sat up moving from his grasp. How could I not have known this? How could I not see how I was corrupting him? Why did I let myself get so close-?

"Hey-" Kakashi said, roughly pulling my face to look at him. "-that isn't on you. I am a grown man; I make my own decisions."

"But you-"

"Lady Tsunade made it clear I wanted to leave of my own free will, I wanted to be with you. I loved you so much I bought a ring and put in my resignation so I could return here with you." Kakashi said, with a nod of my head I pulled away from his grasp to get my own clothes on to kick start my day.

I glanced over my shoulder watching Kakashi get dressed as his words bounced around my head. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tucked the silver chain into my shirt and followed Kakashi out of the bedroom. His words bugged me, like an itch inside my skin I couldn't scratch my blood feels cold as it pumped through my heart. Kakashi didn't know the power his words held. One word made me feel like I had been cheating on the man who had proposed to me on his death bed with his dying breath. Five letters made me feel sick to my dirty core.

Loved.

He said he had loved me so much he bought a ring; he had loved me so much he put in his resignation. What did he feel now? He came all the way to my village; I don't believe he would do that for just anyone but then why did that one fucking word slide so effortlessly out of his mouth, and why did it penetrate me so deeply? 


	44. Chapter 44

“Third shift sucks.” Naruto muttered as his eyes burned inside his skull bone, his brain throbbed in pain from lack of sleep and selfcare. Team seven accompanied along with Kakashi piled into the compact elevator of their apartment building. The team had finished their shift of guard duty on the gates of the leaf village, there was a high rush of missions into the village so now many of their shinobi were deployed.

Team seven and others had been working around the clock to make sure the protection of their precious home never slacked. Kakashi attached onto their squad making it a five manned team in order to pull the doubles.

Naruto’s belly grumped with contempt causing him to groan out, he needed food and sleep before the village meeting today! The meeting was about the new restrictions on how many shinobi can leave the village at once. Naruto didn’t understand why the meeting would be called for today, when over half the shinobi weren’t even inside the village to attend it!

Tsunade was not pleased so many ninjas were able to leave the village without anyone noticing how big of a problem this would bring until it presented itself.

Kakashi checked his phone once more, anger bubbled his blood not seeing a reply waiting to greet him after a long shift. The silver haired shinobi was feeling gravity weigh on his shoulders and his lower back tensed up.

Three long weeks without her touch, without her inside his arms and with the lack of sleep piling onto his shoulders, it was too much for Kakashi to bare. He needed to see her, he needed to hear Sakura’s voice.

Kakashi quickly texted her phone number as the elevator opened its doors, he threatened to travel back to the waterfall village again if she didn’t reply. Kakashi would make that horrid trip if it meant he got to see her again, he fully believed just one touch, one word from those beautiful lips of hers would calm the storm raging inside his chest.

Kakashi wasn’t quite sure what happened the last day he was with her, they had breakfast together and then she got dressed in her gear claiming she had to get to the river village for some reasoning she wouldn’t tell him. She used the fact Kakashi couldn’t remain outside the leaf village much longer without being marked rogue to drop him off home without so much as a hug or wave goodbye.

What scorched Kakashi to his bones even more than the cold shoulder was the fact he knew Itachi was by her side and he wasn’t.

Carver puckered his lips watching Kakashi’s hard gaze on his phone, he had been snappy lately, it was clear as a sunny day the reasoning behind his attitude. Carver hadn’t heard much from Sakura in the past weeks, he figured she was busy doing whatever a commander does. Carver didn’t want Kakashi’s famous death glare turned onto him, so he kept his mouth shut about the topic.

Kakashi’s heart quickly fluttered in his chest, seeing her name unexpectedly pop onto the screen. Without any thought he opened her text message, feeling starved of her attention: ‘I am in the village.’

Kakashi snapped his eyes to his apartment door walking into view. Sakura was here? He quickened his pace; he couldn’t wait to get his arms around her. He had a hundred things going through his head that he wanted to do with her as he quickly began to unlock his front door. His hand wouldn’t stop trembling from the excitement numbing his fingers.

Kakashi was going to punish her for the bad behavior, he was determined he warned her while he stayed inside her house, but she relapsed quickly and ghosted him without so much as a warning to prepare him. Kakashi had envisioned every steamy little detail he was going to do to her when he slipped his arms around her again.

“What in the seven hells in this?!” Kakashi looked over hearing Raiden’s annoyed voice. “That is my cereal!” Kakashi moved to gaze into the rowdy shinobi’s apartment, his heart dropped seeing her signature hair color.

Sakura leaned over the little bar eating a bowl of cereal leaning on her arm watching the team move into the apartment. To Kakashi’s dismay, Dawn and Diem were also inside the apartment sitting on the couch watching TV looking like they were killing time.

“What are you guys doing here?” Carver asked kicking off the shoes off his sore feet.

“Don’t know.” Sakura answered eating another spoonful.

“You don’t know something?” Carver laughed looking over at Dawn and Diem who shrugged, they knew just as much as Sakura did.

“It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.” Diem yawned, “For once we know about as much as you all do.”

“Rude.” Raiden muttered as Kakashi moved towards Sakura, his eye was locked on her as she ate watching the people sitting around the living room.

“Who called you here?” Carver asked.

Sasuke trotted the kitchen moving past Kakashi to get juice from the fridge. He turned and stopped staring at Sakura as she leaned over the counter. Sasuke tilted his head as his eyes scanned over the plump peach. Kakashi deepened his glare onto the raven-haired man as he checked out Commander Haruno.

Sakura was half listening to everyone when her phone beeped, she looked over and pulled her eyebrows together seeing Kakashi’s name pop onto the screen, she tapped the message open: ‘If you don’t stop leaning over that counter, I’ll bend you over and show everyone in this room who your boss truly is.’

Sakura pulled her lips together; her heart fluttered the delightful butterflies rolled down into her lower abdomen stirring up lustful wishes for Kakashi to act on his threat. But Sakura found herself obeying to his command as she stood from leaning over the counter, Kakashi smirked under his mask as Sasuke lost his free show.

“Tsunade.” Sakura answered Carver’s question putting her used bowl into the sink, she could feel Kakashi’s eyes burning her back.

“Granny called you here?” Naruto yawned.

“Yes.” Sakura answered.

“Why?”

“Don’t know.” Sakura repeated. “Our meeting with her is soon.”

“So, you’re here for just a meeting?” Raiden asked Sakura looking at Dawn and Diem.

“Yes.” Sakura said.

“So, are you three coming back from like a battle or...?” Raiden pursed his lips looking at the pinkette.

“No.” Sakura replied.

“Are you headed to one after this?” Carver wondered,

“No?” Sakura laughed, “Believe it or not we do more things than just going fight to fight.”

“Since when?” Carver asked,

“I evolved.” Sakura shot back.

“Now you do it?” Raiden scoffed, “You couldn’t have done that while we still worked for you?!”

“Nope.” Sakura smirked.

“Why are you two here then?” Carver turned to the two commanders on the couch, the truth was Sakura only brought them because she knew they had been missing Carver and Raiden.

“I thought they could use some fresh air.” Sakura answered for them.

“How--Wouldn’t the Waterfall Village have fresher air since there is more vegetation there?” Carver thought out loud.

Diem’s lips parted about to shoot a snarky comment until the toilet flushing caused everyone to turn to the bathroom. Carver and Raiden looked at each other and then to Sakura.

“Who the fuck else did you bring?” Carver asked,

“Are you bringing your entire village to our place now!?” Raiden added, Sakura simply sat on one of the bar stools.

“I brought a present.” Sakura said.

“Oh!” Raiden perked, “Why didn’t you lead with that!?”

“It isn’t for you.” Diem rolled his eyes.

“What the fuck then!?” Raiden threw his hands up in the air, “This is a community center now?”

The bathroom door opened; a relaxed Itachi walked out into the living room. Sakura almost laughed at the thick silence that settled itself inside the room. Carver looked from Sakura to Itachi with an open mouth.

“Itachi?” Sasuke breathed breaking the shell of silence, Itachi grinned seeing his little brothers stunned face. “I-I killed you-” Sasuke shook his head feeling a cold sweat soak is body, believing this to be another dream. “-you’re supposed to be dead.”

“Clearly that didn’t stick.” Carver muttered as he turned to Sakura, “What-”

“He was under the Reaper’s control.” Sakura answered reading the question in Carver’s confused expression.

“Yup!” Diem yawned, stretching his arms above his head. “They tried to use Itachi to bring us down but failed.”

“Really?” Carver breathed looking at Itachi’s foreign face, it felt surreal after all this time to see him standing only feet away. Carver remembered the day he and his team buried Itachi six feet into the earth, he recalled the pain of carving his name into his gravestone. “It’s good to see you.” Carver breathed as he stood.

“You look so different!” Itachi laughed as he hugged Carver.

“Well yeah!” Raiden chirped, “It has been years! We are not babies anymore!”

“I can see that.” Itachi looked between the two soldiers. “I never once thought you two would settle down inside a village again.”

“Neither did we.” Raiden laughed,

“Yeah.” Carver nodded, “Didn’t know we were the type.”

Sasuke stood frozen in place staring at his elder brother, his chest squeezed tight almost making it difficult for him to breathe.

“Itachi?” Sasuke repeated,

“Why is this so shocking?” Dawn wondered, “Your sensei died and came back, so did like how many leaf shinobi?”

“Yeah.” Diem agreed, “This really shouldn’t be anything new.” He finished with a laugh.

“This is different.” Sakura said, Kakashi’s exposed eye locked on her as he sat in the free stool beside the grounded commander.

“Yeah-Yeah.” Diem waved.

“Itachi!” Sasuke cried, tears spilled over as he ran into his elder brother’s arms. Itachi laughed as he hugged Sasuke back.

“I’m right here.”

“But I-”

“But now I am back.” Itachi responded. “It’s all going to be ok now.”

“I’m so sorry!”

“I forgave you a long time ago.” Itachi smiled, “Please stop crying.”

“I’m not crying!” Sasuke snapped, salty tears spilled over the edges of his eyes as he pulled from his brother’s grasp. “I am looking at my dead brother, who I killed! I am going to be a little stunned!” Sasuke snapped at the room full of eyes that watched him in his rare vulnerable moment.

“I suppose so.” Itachi agreed.

“You five are going to be late.” Sakura grinned.

“Huh?” Naruto turned to look at her, “Aw the meeting!” He whined, he never got a chance to eat or even take a nap!

“Forget the meeting-” Raiden said gesturing to Itachi, their dead friend had just returned! Who cares about a stupid meeting now!?

“Isn’t it mandatory?” Sakura wondered,

“How the hell do you know that?” Carver wondered.

“I know everything.” Sakura smirked.

“But-”

“How about you take Itachi with you?” Sakura cut Raiden off, “Let him see the village after all these years, you get to your meeting and everyone wins.”

“What’s in it for you?” Carver asked feeling this was oddly to easy.

“Nothing.” Sakura shrugged. “I’m stuck here until I speak with Tsunade.”

“About what?” Carver wanted to know.

“I don’t know.” Sakura shrugged.

“Bullshit.”

“What is the punishment if your late to the meeting?” Sakura asked.

“I hate you.” Carver said, “You know that right?”

“You love me like a shot of whiskey.” Sakura rolled her eyes, “Get going.”

“Fine!” Carver said, playfully throwing his hands in the air. “Are you at least going to be here when we get back?”

“Are you going to bring me food?” Sakura counted.

“Maybe.”

“Then maybe I’ll be here.”

“Alright then.”

“Alright.” Sakura smiled as Carver followed everyone out of the room, Kakashi didn’t move as Sakura turned to her two commanders. “You two as well.”

“Ugh!” Diem groaned; Sakura agreed with Tsunade when she got called here to lend out her two commanders to stand watch as the leaf shinobi are all collected, so the leaf village would not be exposed and open to attack.

“There better be so much food when we get back!” Diem grumbled following Dawn out of the apartment.

“That is all Carver.” Sakura joked as the door shut, once it was closed, she turned her head but was thrown off the stool. Sakura smiled, feeling Kakashi slammed her against the wall, his hand behind her head protecting it from a concussion. “I see you have missed me.” Sakura dangerously commented staring into his swirling lust filled orb.

P.O.V. Sasuke Uchiha

I stared at Itachi feeling foggy, like I was walking around inside a hollow dream of mine. I couldn’t believe I was standing beside him again, after all these twisted years of painful memories and hatred between us. After I ended his life and then discovered the gritty truth, here he stood before me with a beating heart, a pair of breathing lungs and a smile on his face.

Itachi appeared to be how I remembered him on the day I killed him. It felt as if fate had somehow sealed him away inside a time capsule and finally delivered him back to me as my second chance inside the leaf village was beginning to look clear. I was on team seven with Naruto, I had a nice home to return to at the end of the day. After all these years Sakura was alive and now finally my brother was too...

I tilted my head staring at his face as we wait inside the arena. Shikaku Nara the head of the jonin department was taking the floor as he began to speak, but I didn’t care about him I just stared at Itachi’s face. He still held his fair complexion I remembered; he had our matching onyx eyes under which had long pronounced tear-troughs he inherited from our father. His jet-black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail while his face was framed with bangs.

I had forgotten how similar Itachi and I were in appearance, I smiled to myself as I turned to the lecture below on the ground floor of the arena. Itachi and I could run this village and steal all the women’s hearts.

I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at that thought, I didn’t want the countless woman inside the leaf village or any other village for that matter. I wanted the only one who wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.

“Are you alright?” Itachi questioned me again.

“Yes.” I muttered quickly scrambling to fix my piqued face, I felt my face blush under his gaze. Itachi and I sat a few rows behind the group that made up my team and most of my acquaintances.

“You have grown strong.” Itachi commented after a moment, “I am proud of you Sasuke.” Itachi grinned causing my face to heat.

“I-I don’t--thank you...” I muttered looking at my feet.

The truth about my brother and his heroic sacrifice flooded the villages after his death thanks to Naruto, everyone knew about what he had done for our village. Everyone was watching him with wide shocked eyes, I didn’t understand the looks

We just had eight of our own dead shinobi return to us, why was Itachi any different?

Many people as we made our way here came up and thanked him, shook his hand and questioned if he was here to stay. His paused smile had me puzzled, where else would he want to be than right here inside the place he died to protect? I was the only family he had in this world; he should want to be here with me.

“How long have you been back?” I wondered, he didn’t appear to be stiff like Kakashi and the others were when they returned from the reapers control.

“A couple weeks.”

“W-Weeks!?” I shouted turning to face him. “What--Where the hell have you been all this time!?”

“Inside the Waterfall Village.” Itachi answered so casually.

“What, why?!”

“Because-” Itachi chuckled, “-I had just returned from the dead, I was out of my mind and needed time to adjust.”

“You couldn’t adjust here?” I snapped.

“I was safe-”

“That place is the farthest thing from safe-”

“Sasuke.” Itachi’s voice was soothing as he spoke to me. “I was completely safe under Sakura’s care-”

“You were...You were with Sakura?”

“Yes, she was the one after all who freed me from being under the reapers possession.”

“But then why didn’t she bring you here?” I questioned.

“I needed time.” He shrugged.

“Time for what?”

“To understand.”

“Understand what?!” I felt the muscles in my shoulders tense from feeling flustered!

“That I had died but was returned and given a second chance at life. When I came to...my head was spinning, I found out the team I had grown so fond of before dying had all fallen in battle. I needed time to morn their deaths and adjust to being alive.”

“You could have done that here.”

“You wouldn’t have understood.”

“But Sakura would have?”

“She does, and she did.”

“How?”

“Because she knew them.” Itachi smiled, “She hired those people she had to bury, she trained them, and she loved them as she made them her family; just as I did.”

“I am your family.”

“You are.”

“Those people-”

“You don’t need blood to be family.” I could feel Itachi was trying to teach me a lesson, but I didn’t need it.

“I know.” I muttered looking at the back of Naruto’s blond head.

“So-” Itachi grinned.

“Huh?” I frowned seeing the sly smile of his face.

“Is there anyone special in your life yet?” Itachi wiggled his eyebrows.

“Wh-What?” I muttered looking away from him, her glaring green eyes reflected themselves inside my mind. “No...”

“Are you sure?” Itachi teased me, “It doesn’t sound like you-”

“Maybe...I don’t know.” I snapped wanting this conversation to end.

“How don’t you know?”

“She doesn’t live inside the village.”

“Oh? Well that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t be with her.” Itachi smiled at me,

“She is in love with another man.”

“O-Oh...”

“And she doesn’t like me very much.”

“Who...Who is this girl?” Itachi wondered,

“Commander Haruno-” I answered turning to look at him. “-of the Waterfall Village.” Itachi and I stared at each other for a long second, I smiled at him. “You were her teammate, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“You think you could get her to come around to liking me?” I wondered, “I don’t know what else to do.”

“You said she was in love with another man?” Itachi questioned.

“Yeah!” I darkly laughed, “A dead one!”

“A dead one?”

“She was with Kakashi Hatake for a while, but then he died and came back kind of like you, but he didn’t remember being with her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I think I maybe have a shot at getting her attention now.” I smiled to myself. “Once she realizes Kakashi-”

“He was inside her village.” Itachi cut me off,

“What?” My heart soured over.

“Kakashi, he showed up at her house.” Itachi clarified.

“How-Why-When-?” My circled the drain.

“I don’t know, a couple weeks ago possibly. I asked him what he was doing around the Waterfall Village and all he said was he was on vacation—where are you going!?” Itachi yelled I jumped up from my seat.

“I have to go!” I called over my shoulder. I ran out of the arena at full speed, I thought I had more time! I was more of an idiot than Naruto was! I should have known when Kakashi just vanished for two weeks without any word he was going to her. I thought...I thought he didn’t want to be with her, since she was once a student of his. How could I have been so stupid!?

Sakura was...she was the only thing in this world that could leave me speechless. When she looks at me with those eyes of hers, I just want to fall to pieces. I thought now that Kakashi believed it was wrong for a student and sensei to be together, I would have more time to win her over; clearly, I was wrong.

I dashed through the leaf village in search for the woman with long pink hair. I prayed she and her two commanders hadn’t taken off back to their home just yet. I needed to talk with Sakura, I needed to see her and tell her how I felt.

Sakura or her commanders were not inside the Hokage Tower like I had thought they would have been. I growled inside my chest as I turned and headed to the only other place, I knew she would be.

I didn’t knock on the door; I just twisted the doorknob open and stormed in. My heart fluttered seeing her sitting on his couch, she was leaning on her arm lazily watching the television screen. The moment her eyes found me I wanted to melt into the wooden floor.

“Sasuke?” My name never sounded so sexy, she can turn me on by just the sound of her voice.

“Sakura.” I breathed closing the door to Kakashi’s apartment, I scanned the area not seeing him. Could Kakashi possibly be inside the shinobi meeting where I was supposed to be?

“That is my name.” Sakura muttered looking at with a dulled expression over that gorgeous face.

“I-” I realized I had no idea what to say.

“You?” Sakura trailed off, “Where is your brother?”

“He is still at the meeting I think.”

“You think?” Sakura questioned, “You just left him alone?”

“I-”

“Do you care to say more than just that?” Sakura snapped.

“I’m sorry.” I found words.

“Ok.” Sakura shrugged as if I had said nothing at all.

“What?”

“You can go now.” Sakura said,

“But-”

“Shouldn’t you be at the meeting?” Sakura wondered.

“Yes.” I sighed, “But I wanted to find you.”

“I would prefer if you didn’t.” Sakura muttered, “Get to your meeting before-”

“I said I am sorry.” I repeated.

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’?” I scoffed.

“Do you want a cookie for that?”

“Sakura-” I stepped closer to her. “-I was such a fool-”

“Yeah.” Sakura agreed cutting me off making me smile.

“-I could never admit to when I was in the wrong, I could never apologize for when I hurt someone and...I just want to say I am sorry.”

“For?”

“The way I treated you when we were kids.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” I breathed. “I should have said this years ago, I never should have left you on that bench and I should never have brushed you off like I did.”

“Mmm.” Sakura hummed, still leaning on her arm watching me. “Why now?”

“What?”

“Why now?” She repeated,

“What do you-”

“Why do you feel the need to apologize to me now after all these years?”

“Because...”

“Because?” Sakura trailed on, “Because I returned from being declared dead as a Commander and not as the weak little girl you knew?”

“No, I...I wanted to--I just...”

“Either spit it out or leave!” Sakura snapped sounding irritated.

“You!” I shouted, “It was you, just one look from your eyes stops me cold in my tracks and I am left scrambling to figure out what to say next, but I always come up so empty handed when it comes to talking with you.”

“Did you read that off a website?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I have cared for you for so long, you and Naruto were the reasons I left the Leaf Village-”

“So, your blaming us now?”

“No! I just...I realized I was becoming attached and that would have made me weak but now that I have learnt that I was stupid for thinking that I can’t find words to express how badly my heart burnt when I laid flowers down on your grave-”

“Aw.” Sakura tilted her head. “You poor thing, do you want me to get you some tissues and a tampon?”

“Sakura, I am being ser-”

“And I am not buying it.” She smirked leaning against the couch.

“When I was younger all I cared about was my clan and getting revenge. I didn’t care how dirty I needed to make my hands or how far I had to go to reach my goals. I didn’t even realize how filled with darkness I was. I didn’t feel the demons that danced behind my eyes and I truly never thought I could love someone; I believed my life ended the day Itachi slaughtered my clan.”

“Is there a point in any of this?” Sakura sighed.

“You were never afraid of what was lurking inside of me-”

“No one was ever afraid of you.” Sakura laughed, “You give yourself way too much credit.”

“Maybe your right, but I am just trying to get you to understand-”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do I need to understand your point of view for your actions?” Sakura voice was silky smooth as her eyes scorched me.

“Because I love you.” I breathed, Sakura and I locked eyes for so long I felt my leg twitch. I wanted to walk up to her, I wanted to wrap my arms around her like I seen him do hundreds of times and I wanted to feel her lips against mine.

“That-” Sakura smiled as she rose to her feet off the couch. “-is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard-” She laughed; my mouth dropped open as she shook her head.

“Sakura-”

“You weren’t interested in me until I made something of myself.” Sakura said, “That’s the only reason your barking up my tree. You can leave now.”

“I am not leaving.” I stepped forward following her into the kitchen, she went to the open the fridge, but I slammed it shut. “You’re not listening.”

“You’re the one not listening.”

“I know I broke all your trust in me, but-”

“If you know that then why are we having this conversation?” Sakura turned to face me, annoyed I blocked her from the soda sitting inside the refrigerator.

“Because I want a second chance.” I answered, she scoffed at me.

“I don’t do second chances.”

“I hear something different.” I accused.

“What does that mean?”

“Kakashi’s vacation was inside the Waterfall Village.”

“So, what if it was?” She shrugged, “That has nothing to do with you.”

“He basically disowned you!” I shouted, throwing my arms up in the air. “He claimed you as his student and that your relationship was disgusting and yet your sleeping with him again!?”

“Like I said-” Her voice was steady but her eyes here igniting, “-that has nothing to do with you.”

“You gave him a second chance-”

“He died in battle protecting his village and the people he loves.” She snapped at me. “He didn’t run off like a fucking twat in some monopoly scheme in order to get power.”

“I made my mistakes in life, I am still trying to right those wrongs but if you give me a chance Sakura, I can make you happy-”

“I don’t need you to make me happy.” She said turning to walk away from me.

“Don’t walk away from me!” I grabbed her arm; I saw her flinch in pain as I twisted her back around to face me. I saw the anger trace her facial features; my brain fogged over as I felt my body move in front of her. I grabbed her neck, pushing her against the kitchen wall as I forced my leg in between hers.

“I am going to kill you.” She breathed; I could hear the pain in her voice as she glared into my eyes. I leaned against her injured side, putting pressure on her open wound keeping her inside my grasp.

“Please listen to me.” I found myself begging. “I can’t go back to standing on the sidelines watching you like I have been-”

“Oh-” Sakura laughed. “-that’s not an unsettling thought.”

“You’re going to hear me out!” I snapped gripping her neck tighter blocking her sarcastic comments from sliding out. I licked my lips as my eyes scanned over her lips, they were so soft and plump. Every desire inside my body urged me to lean in, I felt my eyes slowly close as I bent forward.

I pictured this moment a thousand times inside my head, my heart fluttered sending flying butterflies into my stomach. This was the first time I ever felt this towards another woman, Sakura was the only person to make me feel—my thoughts were cut off by the head as I felt a tight hand grip the back of my shirt. I was pulled back with such ease, almost like I was a rag doll. My brain couldn’t register what had happened until I was laying on my back staring up at the ceiling.

I blinked a few times as my soul entered my body I slowly sat up, I was thrown against the front wall, a large hole that size of my body rested behind me. I blinked; I didn’t feel any pain as I rose to my feet looking back towards the kitchen. My breath hitched in my throat as I saw Kakashi standing in between Sakura and myself, he stood before me wearing his baggy black pants and only a mask. His silver hair was damp, telling me he had been in the shower and not at the shinobi meeting like I had inspected.

“What are you doing Sasuke?” He questioned me. “That is no way to treat a lady.”

“I-” I couldn’t take my eyes away from Kakashi’s body, I never in a million years expected him to be so fit. He was bigger than me, his muscles were more defined as he turned and spoke to Sakura. I moved forward; I wasn’t finished talking to her.

“No.” He turned to me. “Leave my apartment.”

“I am not done talking-”

“I said you were.”

“You’re not her-”

“She isn’t yours to touch.” Kakashi’s voice was cold and his exposed eye was hard as he looked at me.

“And she is yours?” I glared as I balled my fists.

“Yes.” Kakashi nodded, my heart froze inside my chest stopping my blood from coursing inside my body.

“N-No-” The front door slammed open allowing Carver, Raiden and Naruto to come running in.

“What is going on!?” Naruto yelled looking around.

“Huh?” Raiden looked around. “What um...what did we miss?” Raiden went to look at the broken wall.

“Damn Kakashi!” Carver laughed moving to stand beside him. “Look at you!”

“Hm?” He hummed.

“Your cut!”

“I am what?” Kakashi questioned.

“It means...ah never mind.” Carver shook his head turning to look at Sakura, Kakashi was placing an ice pack on her neck as Naruto stood beside her looking panicked.

“So, what fun did we miss today?” Carver turned to me.

“Sasuke you choked Sakura!?” Naruto yelled snapping his big blue innocent eyes onto me. I sighed rolling mine as everyone turned their attention to me.

“I-”

“What the hell Sasuke!?” Naruto shouted, “You could have reopened her stitches!”

“She is fine.” I sighed.

“How do you know that?” Kakashi turned to me. “You’re not a doctor, you don’t know if you did any damage we can’t see.”

“She is fine-”

“It wasn’t your place to put your hands on her.” Kakashi’s voice sent chills over my arms, it annoyed me how even after all these years some piece of me still holds him in high regard and I hated when he was disappointed in me. After my family were all taken away, Kakashi was the closest thing to a father refigure I had.

“I-I wasn’t thinking-”

“If you place your hands on her again, I will do more than simply put you through a wall.” Kakashi threatened, I looked away from him and to the floor.

“Wait...?” Raiden called out, “Are you two-” He pointed to Sakura, “-a thing again or...” Kakashi turned to Sakura who was leaning against the wall holding an ice pack against her soft neck.

“Yes.” Kakashi answered looking into Sakura eyes, after that word left his mouth, she smiled looking away from him. I felt my chest bubble with rage, this wasn’t fair! Kakashi was her sensei their relationship should not be allowed! Raiden whistled looking at Kakashi up and down, pulling the attention off me.

“I never thought you had that underneath all your clothes!” Raiden laughed, I felt my eye twitch, he didn’t look that good. “Your build like a damn bookcase!”

“What does that even mean?” I muttered.

“How do you feel Sakura?” Naruto asked, I pulled my eyes to her. She tossed the icepack on the counter.

“I’m fine.” She answered, I nodded. I knew she was Sakura is strong she is always fine.

“Your neck is ok though-?” Naruto went on questioning not letting this go. “-you were choked!”

“Yeah well...” Sakura smirked, “...he chokes me better.” Sakura nodded towards Kakashi.

“W-What?!” Naruto’s face turned bright red.

“Yes!” Raiden laughed.

“Ew.” Carver shook his head. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Well.” Kakashi sighed, “I think that enough for one night.”

“Aw come on!” Raiden whined, “It was just starting to get good.”

“It’s been a long day for everyone, I think its best if everyone gets some rest.” Kakashi said.

“But-”

“Raiden-” Carver patted his shoulder, “-he is right. After all the man if half naked-”

“I highly doubt Kakashi cares.” Raiden rolled his eyes. “Do you care that your half-”

“Out.” Sakura pointed to the front door tired of the bickering. “You two were supposed to be spending time with my commanders. Where did you put them?”

“Oh yeah...” Carver trailed off. “...we will go fetch them.” Carver waved turning on his heel as he dragged Raiden with him.

“Hinata will be over soon.” Naruto yawned. “I better get going too.”

“Your girlfriend spends the night with your parents living with you?”

“My parents got a house.” Naruto grinned,

“Oh.” Sakura nodded; she had been gone from the leaf village for so long, she had to of known a lot of things were bond to change.

“Yeah!” Naruto wrapped his arms behind his head. “They got a pretty nice house not too far from here. They wanted me to move in with them, but I couldn’t move away from my team!”

“Yeah?” Sakura smiled at Naruto as he waved goodnight and left.

“Hey!” I protested as Naruto grabbed my arm taking me with him. “What gives?!”

“Sasuke...” Naruto sighed. “...it’s late and-”

“I wasn’t done talking to her-” I said turning to go back to Kakashi’s apartment.

“It was pretty clear she was done talking to you.” Naruto called out behind me.

“What?” I turned to face him.

“Sakura loves him Sasuke.” Naruto sighed; his eyes pulled to the floor avoiding mine.

“He is her-”

“Kakashi is our sensei, he is not the one who trained the Reaper.”

“But-”

“Sasuke she is happy, why can’t that be enough for you?”

“Because he had his turn.” I said.

“What?” Naruto laughed. “Kakashi died! He was taken from her-”

“I know!” I snapped, “I know all of this. It’s just...it’s not fair that he gets her!”

“He treats her good.” Naruto said, reaching out and touching my arm trying to comfort me. “There is no doubt in my mind he will do everything in his power to protect her.” I walked away from him and his annoying words. I closed and locked my door as I turned, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding inside her presence.

I walked forward, kicking off my shoes and taking off my gear. After a quick shower and making a hot microwave meal I sat on my couch wondering where my brother was. He knew where I lived, I was sure he was fine.

“She isn’t yours to touch.” I closed my eyes hearing Kakashi’s voice circling around inside my head taunting me. I glanced over in the direction of his apartment, she was so close to me and yet so far. I bit my jaw, he just declared her as his as if it was just that easy! My stomach rolled at the thought of her sleeping in his bed tonight, I tossed my dinner in front of me onto the coffee table.

I got up moving quickly into my bedroom hearing muffled voices. I moved towards the wall, pressing my hand against the painted foundation. I could hear her...she was inside his room.

My lungs squeezed; I opened my eyes feeling a need to gasp out for air. I felt an old familiar feeling creep out of my bones and taint my blood. That enraged anger that fueled me for years tensed the muscles in my arms feeling like pressure was building up inside my body. I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts, I moved from the wall and towards the bathroom.

Her eyes, those lips and the feeling of her neck under my hand. I growled low inside my throat as raged glowed inside my reflection. That bastard choked her, and she liked when he did it.

My fist tightened at the imagines of his hands trailing down her body and not mine. I raised my hand and punched against the wall of my bathroom, it felt good to release some of the pressure inside me. I pulled my arm back and punched the wall again, and again and then again as her glowing emerald orbs stared at me inside my brain.

I opened my eyes. I was panting, sweat coated my skin as I blinked seeing the multiple holes in the wall and my bloody hand. I turned from my own destruction inside my own apartment as I pulled my phone out and pulled up a phone number.

Her annoying blonde hair and blue eyes flashed through my mind; her high-pitched voice crawled over my skin, but I texted Ino to come over anyway.

Ino was one of my many girls that jumped at one of my texts and came over at any hour I wanted. I stared at the wall separating apartments.

Sakura would laugh in my face if I simply hit her up for sex. She held to much annoying self-respect to be an easy booty call.

I leaned my arms on my knees waiting for Ino to run here as I thought about Kakashi. He had to be crossing some line by dating a previous student, maybe a code of ethics or something.

No...Sakura was no longer a member of the leaf village and she was an adult; so even if I could get this issue brought up to Tsunade without anyone knowing it was me, it would be tossed out instantly. Maybe he would be kicked off the force as punishment.

All the years of training and guidance he had leant to me washed out the window as I felt a deep bitterness towards him, all because he had something I couldn’t have.

So, now the question was, how could I bring Kakashi Hatake down?


	45. Chapter 45

P.O.V. Kakashi Hatake

"So-" Sakura's sweet voice called from my couch, I smiled thinking it had been too long since her songful voice filled my apartment. "-I am yours to touch now?" She leaned against the couch her head resting on her arm as I sat beside her, handing over a wine glass full of a sweet white wine.

A playful smirk rested along her lips and her eyes glowed with amusement, I didn't feel like I was in trouble for what I had said this evening.

"Yes." I said pulling my mask off, setting it on the coffee table.

"Says who?" She questioned.

"Me." I reached my hand around the back of her neck; I muffled the groaned in the back of my throat feeling my fingers tangle through her long soft hair.

I roughly pulled her closer, her hands caught herself on my chest as I mashed our lips together. I felt my body temperature begin to rise and my pants tighten.

I didn't want to escalate tonight to quickly, so I broke the kiss I shared with her. I wanted to take things slow with her, take our time and enjoy ourselves.

Her eyes fluttered opened and in 0.1 seconds her picturesque face went from pouting to annoyed making me grin.

"I promised you-" I whispered to her, running my thumb over her blushed cheek. "-the next time you came by you would get a nice quiet evening."

"Yeah-"

"I am going to start to start dinner."

"Dinner?" She repeated as I stood, she still looked to be in disbelief I was walking away from her.

"Yes." I chuckled, "You know that time at night when we eat?"

"I know what dinner is." She muttered causing me to laugh, I heard her set her wine glass on the table. "I'll help you."

"Hm?" I turned seeing she had reached my side quickly. "You don't need-"

"I want to." Sakura flashed a smile made just for me; my heart melted at the sight of it. I cleared my throat and nodded.

"Alright then." I directed her to the counters where multiple vegetables were waiting. "Cut those up for me?"

"Sure." She nodded as I went to prep the rest of the food.

After a while, I turned my head and felt impressed watching Sakura dice the carrots almost effortlessly. Naruto and the others told me many stories as an attempt to jog my missing memory, but it all failed. For a woman who people all claimed couldn't cook, she was extremely skilled with a knife.

"Are you going to tell me where you have been all this time?" I questioned taking a quick glance over my shoulder to read her body language.

"There's nothing to tell." Another famous vague answer by Sakura Haruno! I sighed turning around to fully face her.

"Alright then, will you explain to me your arm?" I nodded towards her elbow that was wrapped in white gauze.

"The River Village." Sakura let out a silent sigh, I knew she didn't like being twenty questioned, but it was me, and I could see she was trying to not turn around and snap my neck and for that I was appreciative.

"Oh?" I crossed my arms over my chest, "Why did they need more blood from you? Last time you were there, they nearly drained you dry."

"They didn't take any blood." Sakura said, licking her plump lips as she avoided my gaze

"Then what did they do?" I didn't understand what else they would have done to her to make her need to wear gauze around her arm.

"Nothing." Sakura shrugged, about to turn around to mindless stab the innocent vegetables.

"Sakura." I moved to her side, placing a soft hand on the small of her back. "You can tell me anything."

"I know." Sakura smiled at me making my heart skip, "When there is something to tell you, I will tell you."

"I feel like there is something you're not telling me."

"Nothing important-"

"Sakura, what did the River Village do to you?"

"Nothing I didn't allow."

"Sakura!" I didn't mean to snip her name, but I was frustrated she wasn't opening up to me!

I know when I returned from dying, I rejected her and that had to have cut her ways I could never begin to understand but I walked thousands of miles to get to her, I pinned her against every wall inside her house and made sweet love to her. I thought by now, she would at least start to open up to me a little bit.

"It's nothing!" Sakura snapped just as annoyed I couldn't just leave her alone.

"It clearly is-"

"It's nothing you're going to want to hear-" Sakura cut me off, "-it'll piss you off, ruin our night so why can't you just take my word when I say it's nothing and leave it the fuck alone!?"

"Because it has to do with you." I rebounded my composure.

"Kakashi-" Sakura sighed.

"Please just tell me-"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't your fucking concern!"

"Is that how you feel about me?" I dropped my arm, taking a step away from her as I masked the hurt on my face.

"No-I-It's not, Fuck my life!" Sakura cursed with a shake of her head.

"I thought you wanted to be in a relationship-" I started, staring at the stove as my heart sat in my stomach.

"The River Village injected me with a vaccine for the Reaper's poison." Sakura snapped out the shivering truth.

"A vaccine?" I blinked, "That's great then-"

"It failed." Sakura's voice was bleak as she glared into the floor.

"Failed?" I tilted my head, "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Sakura let out a dark laugh as she looked up from the floor, "...they infected me with the poison for no reason."

"H-" I sucked in a breath as I stared at Sakura, she pulled her lips into a thin line and nodded.

"Yeah." Sakura said, pushing herself off the counter. This wasn't how I thought tonight would go. I watched her move past me as she did, I like to think I know her, with the stone look cased inside her eyes, I knew she wasn't planning on telling anyone this information, possibly not even her own commanders.

I didn't blame her, the last time she had the reapers poison coursing through her veins, everyone inside her life especially me tried to bubble wrap her as if that could keep out the cold, the bad and the ugly.

I talked with Carver and Raiden in detail about Sakura, through them I believe I painted an accurate picture of Sakura, her and I are in ways so much alike but yet so different. She believed herself to be negative, her presence brings others down. Sakura always followed destruction, that is her job and bad news followed to her like she was a downhill slope. This is the main reason she feels it's best to keep everyone at arm's length to keep them safe even though it hurts her.

I knew the emotions swirling behind those sealed emerald orbs, I knew them all too well. The urgent need to be alone was a dead giveaway on her face as she moved into the living room. I pushed her to hard, she wasn't use to bowing down when she didn't want to, which is why I assume she was collecting her things to leave, in order to not murder me or say the wrong thing.

"You're not leaving." I stated catching her arm with my right hand and snaking my left arm around her. I couldn't let her leave, not after this. It was my job to show her that even though she may be a little broken, she was still unbelievably gorgeous and my favorite person.

"Kakashi I am not-"

"I have been thinking about you these past few weeks." I muffled as I shoved my face into her soft neck.

"You have been thinking about me?" Sakura questioned sounding almost shocked.

"Well, parts of you." I smirked against her warm skin.

"Only parts?"

"Yes." I breathed, leaning onto my forearm getting closer to her. "Your lips, they are very...distracting."

"How so?"

"I can't stop myself from wanting to dine on them." I admitted to one of my deepest fantasies.

"What's stopping you?" Sakura tilted her head, her eyes glowed appearing amused. I groaned, quickly impacting my lips onto hers, this woman beneath me will be the death of me.

~~ P.O.V. Change ~~

Kakashi's eyes snapped open as the sound of blaring alarms ripped apart his peaceful evening with Sakura. He quickly looked out his open window, as if that could tell him what was going on outside. Kakashi looked back the woman beneath him, he gazed into her eyes as they laid still for just a moment.

"Stay here." He ordered, pulling himself off her as he quickly gathered clothing on his body.

"Wh-What?" Sakura almost laughed at the simple thought.

"This isn't your village." Kakashi turned his head as he pulled his shirt on. "This isn't your fight."

"I can help."

"We don't need it."

"How could you-"

"Let me rephrase this then." Kakashi snapped pulling on his thick flank jacket. "I don't want you out there."

"I can hold my own-"

"I know you can, but you have that poison in your system and if something happens to you, I can't get you back."

"If anyone should stay inside it's you." Sakura sat up. "You died once, I already had to live through that." The two stared at one another for a moment.

"Fine." Kakashi nodded pulling on the last of his gear, he quickly walked into his bathroom grabbing a pack of gauze.

"Fine?" Sakura felt confused as she watched him walk back into the bedroom and pull a clean kunai from his pouch. He sat beside her on his large bed. He took her hand in his, he made a small one inch cut on the side of her palm then hastily he did the same to himself. Sakura's lips parted as she watched him mix their blood together. "What are you-"

"Now I have the poison in my blood." Kakashi cupped the side of her face with his free hand. "Should something happen to me out there, you have a way to bring me back."

"It isn't that simple-" Kakashi cut her off with a kiss,

"But I have a request." He breathed resting his forehead against hers,

"Request?"

"I am a stubborn man, should I die and lose my memory of you please...make me fall in love with you for a third time."

"A third-" Sakura's eyes widened as Kakashi smiled.

"I love you Sakura." He said, kissing her once more time before getting off the bed and pulling up his mask.

"Kakashi-!"

"I'll be back." Kakashi promised with a closed eye smile as he slipped out his open window.

"Fucking Leaf shinobi." Sakura cursed under her breath as she up and quickly got dressed.

"Sakura!" Voice called into the living room; Sakura turned hearing her two commanders panicked voices. She moved out of the room as she clipped her gun to her leg as held her sword in her hand.

"What-"

"It's them-!" Dawn gasped.

"Who?" Sakura shook her head.

"The Reapers." Diem clarified. "They are the ones invading the Leaf Village."

"-And Malachite is leading them." Dawn added, Sakura blinked as she thought back to the last battle, she faced the reapers in. Kakashi lost his life inside that fight, so did many others Sakura licked her lips.

"What are your orders?" Diem asked, Sakura felt her muscles twitch with the urge to draw blood and do some damage.

Malachite had crawled out of hiding and was here, which meant he had something planned and Sakura was going to do everything in her power to stop him this time once and for all.

Sakura looked to her two commanders as a smile bloomed onto her lips, Dawn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up seeing that look on her commander's face.

"What?" Dawn breathed.

"Are you ready for round two?" Sakura questioned.


	46. Chapter 46

Men and women of all sizes poured into the leaf village from a hole blown in on the east side of the gate. The intruders were all dressed the same head to toe in the same pants, shirt, mask, and cape that covered their faces. Their choices of weapons all varied on their personal preference; they didn't miss a beat once their feet touched the ground, they took off sprinting into the village. The reapers began attacking the people, it didn't matter their age or gender the reapers had their orders and it was to bring the village hidden in the leaf's to their knees.

The black ops and group of shinobi who were specially trained inside the waterfall village's training grounds responded well to the invasion at first. They were able to keep the flood of intruders within the first few blocks, but Malachite had planned on this. He used his own men as a trojan horse, they were just a diversion. Malachite knew due to Commander Haruno and her training the leaf village was much stronger and couldn't be taken down so easily, he knew sending in simple shinobi would not do the job.

Naruto and the rest of team seven were running towards the fire when another explosion sounded in the north, Naruto could see a smoke outline rising into the darkened sky. He turned to his teammate, Sasuke who looked just as confused.

"What was that?" Raiden wondered out loud what everyone was thinking.

"Whatever it was-" Carver turned in the direction of north. "-it isn't good."

"It never is." Raiden sighed as his new team ran north knowing most of their already scarce forces were at the east side keeping the reapers at bay. Carver turned, seeing multiple shinobi jump around them one caught his eye due to his silver locks.

"Where is Sakura?!" Carver called out to Kakashi, the masked man turned to team seven,

"She isn't joining this fight." Kakashi answered thinking back to how he left her safely in his bed.

"What?" Raiden laughed. "Have you met her?"

"So, she is someplace else in the village then." Carver muttered to himself.

"Where is Itachi?" Iruka asked beside Kakashi. "I know he isn't officially a leaf shinobi yet, but we could really use his help."

"He is helping." Sasuke said, "He is with Naruto's parents getting the villagers down into the tunnels."

"Oh good." Iruka sighed.

"But that's not." Carver gasped quickly halting to a stop, Raiden ran into Carver's back. He peeked over his shoulder to see what was going on.

"Oh, come on!" Raiden whined.

"What the hell are those?" Kakashi asked, there was a cluster of those same creatures that had once tried to bring down the leaf along with other villages, but Sakura, Carver and Raiden stopped them. Naruto stared at their human like form, their thick mismatch skin pigment. Sasuke cursed looking at the creature's arms that almost appeared as if someone had sharpened their very bones into deadly blades.

"Not these things again!" Raiden whined to anyone who would listen. Kakashi glanced over at team seven, where had these things come from?

"What do they want?" Kakashi pressed for answers.

"Well they're not here for warm hugs." Carver took a step back seeing the wandering creatures had spotted him and his team.

"Run!" Naruto yelled as the creatures roared to life, saliva dripped down their razor teeth as they jerked their way towards the leaf shinobi.

"If you run then you will lead them right into the heart of the fucking village!" Dawn shouted jumping to Carver's side.

"Oh, you guys are still here?" Raiden said seeing Diem.

"Carver-" Dawn turned to him, "-get everyone and get to the east side and stop the Reapers from getting in."

"What-"

"Diem and I can handle these things."

"Are you insane!?" Iruka yelled. "You two cannot-"

"We are Sakura's Commanders-" Diem smirked, "-give us a little more credit than that."

"Where is Sakura?" Carver quickly inquired, Kakashi snapped his head around.

"She is going after Malachite." Dawn breathed. "That is why I need you all to get to the east side of the village and back her up."

"But-"

"Go!" Dawn snapped.

"Fuck!" Carver cursed turning on his heel, Kakashi was already feet in front of the moving group as his chest burned with rage. He had told her to stay inside his apartment, there he knew she would have been safe!

"Ahh!"

Team seven skidded to a stop as TenTen and Hinata flown past them.

"Hinata!" Naruto turned running after his girlfriend. "Hey, are you ok?" Naruto softly picked her up.

"Yeah." Hinata breathed.

"I'm fine too!" TenTen picked herself of the dusty road. "Don't worry about me!"

"S-Sorry." Naruto awkwardly laughed.

"What the hell happened to you?" Carver asked not seeing any reapers running after them.

"I might have used a little much gunpowder in an explosion..." TenTen smiled.

"You almost blew up my girlfriend!?" Naruto shouted.

"This isn't the time!" TenTen rolled her eyes. "Where are you guys headed?"

"Here." Carver answered. "Why?"

"Because we have been trying to make our way south of the village." Hinata said.

"What?" Sasuke shook his head. "What for?"

"That is where Sakura and the leader of the Reapers are." Hinata said,

"Son of a bitch." Carver realized. "This whole thing was a decoy."

"Yeah." TenTen rubbed the shoulder she had fallen on. "We figured that out when the Reapers began to turn and run."

"Fuck my life!" Raiden yelled into the air feeling hot. "We just fought our way here and it wasn't even the right fucking place!"

"Let me take a wild guess." Kakashi turned his head. "They are inside the arena?"

"That is what we think." TenTen nodded.

"What are we waiting for!?" Naruto said, "We have to go and back up Sakura!"

"Yeah." Raiden agreed looking over his shoulder, "We don't know how long Dawn and Diem can hold off those things."

\----

Carver, Raiden, Kakashi and the others following jumped over the arena's wall landing gracefully on the top. Kakashi took in a breath inside his lungs as he began searching out her hair.

"Guy?" Kakashi tilted his head seeing a few shinobi standing on the roof of the stadium.

"Kakashi!" Guy turned, a massive smile blooming over his child like face. "Your still alright!"

"Of course-" Kakashi turned to Iruka and team seven, recalling the fact he died the last time the reapers invaded their home. "-is that why you have been glued to me?"

"What?" Iruka laughed as he felt himself begin to sweat under Kakashi's gaze.

"No!" Naruto brushed with a wave of his hand. "There is strength in numbers! You taught me that!"

"Uh-Huh." Kakashi said.

"What are you all doing up here?" Carver wondered seeing other sensei such as Asuma and Kurenai.

"We just got here." Kurenai said,

"This is what we stumbled upon." Asuma gestured with his head towards the main floor of the arena were the main battle was taking place. Carver peeked his head over, his heart rolled inside his chest and his knee gave out.

"Carver!?" Naruto rushed to his side. "What?!"

"No..." Raiden breathed gazing down onto the field.

The two sides had separated like oil and water and now were facing each other with a line of strangers placed in between them.

"What?" Sasuke questioned not understanding, he turned back to the ground floor. All he saw was leaf shinobi, Tsunade, Sakura facing a group of masked reapers, Malachite and a line of people who were not masked he did not know.

"It can't be..." Raiden breathed as his stomach rolled over feeling sickened, like he had just downed one to many vodka shots.

"What-!" Kakashi reached out but missed Raiden as he jumped down, Carver quickly followed with Kakashi on his tracks. Sakura felt her ex-soldiers running up behind her, she held her arm out stopping them from running any further.

"Sakura-" Raiden quickly whispered; excitement coursed through his veins.

"No." Sakura's voice was brassy as she refused to pull her eyes off Malachite. Kakashi moved past Caver and Raiden, placing himself in between Sakura and Tsunade. Feeling her beside him Kakashi felt himself slightly relax. Kakashi's eyes locked onto her, he was not pleased she was outside of his bed right now. He was already piecing together the lecture he was going to give her when this was all over.

"Kakashi Hatake." Malachite grinned taking in the mask man, Kakashi turned to the blond he couldn't recall who this person was or how he knew him. "The one that got away."

"That is the leader of the Reapers." Sakura informed Kakashi, "Also known as the man who resurrected you and used you as a personal chew toy."

"I see." Kakashi nodded looking at person Sakura has been hunting down for so long.

"You were one of my favorites." Malachite directed in Kakashi's direction. "One of my most popular collections too. You never lost."

"Never lost?" Naruto wondered.

"That's right!" Malachite chuckled to himself. "You may not remember your special time while under my control."

"Remember what?" Kakashi questioned.

"Well you see, every year we hold a tournament, kind of like a game of ours to see which toy is the strongest-"

"Toy?" Naruto shook his head, what was this guy talking about?

"Yes." Malachite's sly smiled caused Naruto to look towards Kakashi, making him understood what these 'toys' were. "The great copy ninja never lost a battle."

"You held fights between the people you captured and forced to be under your control?!" Tsunade spat with a quick shake of her head.

"Of course." Malachite smiled, "How else would you spend a Thursday night?"

"Sakura-" Carver ignored the leader of the reapers and Tsunade, "-are they...?" He cut himself off, unable to finish building his own sentence.

"Yeah." Sakura breathed looking at the line of six people facing her and the leaf shinobi behind her. "They are alive."

"But-"

"Who are they?" Iruka wondered with a deep worried frown on his face.

"They kind of look like..." Naruto trailed off as he tilted his head trying to remember his messy memories.

"That's because they are." Raiden looked over at Naruto.

"Who are they!?" Sasuke snapped feeling extremely agitated from being out of the loop.

"You're looking at the members of the Nine." Carver's deep voice held dread and a little joy.

"The Nine?" Tsunade breathed turning her head to gaze at Carver. "As in your team that all died?" Tsunade asked Sakura who nodded as a response.

"Looks like they weren't dead after all." Sakura glared into Malachite's tainted brown eyes. All these years, all the times Carver, Raiden and herself went to the Nines burial site to mourn their death, their fallen tears fell onto empty grave plots. The reapers removed their bodies without Sakura, Carver or Raiden ever noticing.

How long has Malachite had them in his corrupt grasp?

How many 'tournaments' had they been forced to participate in?

"No..." Carver breathed as his eyes widened.

"What?" Naruto shook his head, "What is the matter?" Naruto thought for sure this was a good thing, their friends were somewhat alive. All they needed to do now was take down Malachite and free their friends from his mind control. The cold look on Carver's face made Naruto and the surrounding shinobi unsettled.

"What-" Kakashi went to question until another explosion erupted in the west.

"This is a trap." Carver breathed pulling his eyes onto the back of Sakura's head.

"What?" Tsuande quizzed.

"This is the Iron Village." Raiden realized; tears found their way to his eyes as he pulled his attention onto Sakura who moved to strike. Her domes blossomed from the earth, but only was able to wrap around two of the returned members of the Nine, the others moved to attack her by Malachites demand.

"Sakura-!" Kakashi dashed forward to back her.

"Kakashi!" Carver turned hearing roars of creatures pouring into the leaf village from the unguarded side of the village.

"Carver-" Naruto yelled over his shoulder as he was running towards the fight, the two sides coming together spilling blood, soaking the dry dirt due to the hot sunny days.

"This is a trap!" Carver yelled, he needed to get to Sakura's side.

"What are you saying!?" Tsunade shouted, punching a masked woman in the face.

"This assault is planned out like the Iron Village!" Carver informed.

"What does that-?" Tsunade shook her head not caring about a village that no longer stood, this wasn't the time to reminisce!

"Tsunade, the Iron Village was a plan designed to bringing Sakura down. Think about it, the Reapers coming in from the west side of the village and then out of nowhere more of their creatures are sent in halfway across the village!?"

"Then he appears." Tsunade muttered, "He finds Sakura and reveals your team-"

"Now he has sent in more of those things, they will be here soon, and they will-"

"Take down everyone here, giving Malachite the advantage, he needs to kill her." Tsunade breathed understanding Carver's cold washed appearance. "Get to Sakura!" Tsuande ordered, "I will pull shinobi to respond to the break in the gates!"

"On it!" Carver flipped; his eyes grazed over the two domes. Two people with glowing trapped red eyes pounding on the dome's walls demanding to be let out. Carver's heart clinches seeing a woman, a little younger than he glares off in the direction he knew Sakura to be. Her long purple hair still held the braids Sakura placed in them the day Carver, Raiden and Sakura buried her. The second woman cracked the side of the dome, Carver paused for only a second to see if she was going to have the strength to break through.

"Calm down Octavia." Carver muttered at the silver haired woman who spat into the distance. Carver's heart fluttered seeing her distant face, she was how he remembered her. Her mature yet petite face with pale full lips with matching pale skin, he would run his fingers over her soft back for hours just getting lost in the feel of her body lying on his. Her side bangs covered her right eye as it flowed down past her shoulders. She wore her black tank top with a red jacket, she never looked so good.

"Hey!" Raiden yelled ducking the swing of a sharp blade. "That is rude!" He commented backing away from one of the returned members from his team. She had long but choppy maroon hair. "Piper!" Raiden grabbed Naruto's arm pulling him out of Piper's reach.

"Who the hell are these people!?" Naruto breathed, sweat coated his skin as he gasped out of breath, sweat coat coated his skin.

"Well-" Raiden said, jumping out of another members path of destruction. "-they are our team so did you think this was going to be easy?" Raiden laughed.

"Not really." Naruto sighed.

"Where is Sakura?!" Carver said, jumping behind Piper quickly pinning her arm behind her back as he placed a chakra seal on her, making her useless inside a fight.

"I don't know." Raiden breathed locking eyes with dirty blond. "Finn, now I know your probably still mad at me for sleeping with-" Raiden jumped from Finn's tunnel of flames.

"They can't hear you." Carver reminded, "They don't know who you are, they don't remember who they even are so talking to them is pointless."

"I can still try."

"Where is Sakura?" Carver pressed.

"I don't know." Raiden repeated, "But I know Kakashi is with her."

"Are you sure?" Carver asked, feeling a little better knowing he was beside her.

"Yes." Raiden said. "She and him went to deal with fucking Malachite and his butt buddy. That is why Naruto and I are holding off the Nine from getting to her."

"How many more of them are there!?" Naruto called trying to catch his breath as he watched two more people walking towards them.

"Three are down." Carver answered.

"Great!" Naruto groaned, "Just three more to go and we can go back up Sakura!"

"What about those things-?"

"The black ops are holding them back." Carver answered, "Tsunade was also able to pull Minato, Kushina as well as Itachi to respond to the creatures coming into the village while we stay here and deal with this area."

"My parents are the ones dealing with those things?" Naruto turned, his gut tied itself in a knot at the thought of his parents facing blood hungry creatures designed to be endless killed machines.

Naruto just got them back...

"Don't worry." Raiden smiled, "If anyone can take on those things and live to talk about it, it's your folks they are about as strong as you are."

"Yeah." Carver agreed. "I wouldn't worry too much about them, Itachi is also there backing them up."

"Where is Tsunade then?" Sasuke wondered.

"Don't know." Carver sighed, "I haven't seen Tsunade in a bit, I have been taking down Reapers in order to get to you guys."

"Awesome." Sasuke sighed looking around his village feeling like this invasion would have no end.

Kakashi and Sakura stood back to back as reapers surrounded them, Sakura's eyes were locked through the crowd onto Malachite who was so close. He was not leaving the leaf village alive again, today was the day the reapers were going to come to an end.

"Sakura?" Kakashi called, feeling her behind him but wanted to hear her voice.

"I'm here." She updated him; she knew he wasn't happy she moved from the safety of his apartment but what could he expect from her? Did he think she would willingly sit by while the virus of a person was finally within her reach?

Sakura ducked the swing of a silver blade, Kakashi turned instantly concerned feeling her move behind him. Gripping his standard issue kunai tight he flung it into the reapers neck. Sakura stood, quickly taking in the dead man in front of her and then turning back to confront Kakashi. 

"Not fair." Sakura almost held a pout on her face, causing Kakashi's heart to swell with admiration. He felt the urge to buckle under her enchanting gaze and fetch her anything she could ever want and deliver it to her on a silver platter.

"Wh-What?" Kakashi found himself laughing in the middle of a bloodied battle ground. 

"That one was mine." 

"Be faster next time." Kakashi smiled under his mask, seeing Sakura's competitive side leaking out. 

"Stay on your side of the fucking fight!" Sakura snapped with a smirk on her lips as she turned her attention on the masked shinobi closing in around them. She took three, four, five reapers down without blinking. If she could feel Kakashi behind her, this would be like a sunny walk in the park. Sakura smirked, turning her head and pulling a kunai from the pouch on her leg. 

Kakashi's lighting blade echoed around him, blue light glowing in the night as he struck down the oncoming men and women. From the corner of his eye, a silver spinning kunai reflected the light off his jutsu. It flew into the head of the nearby reaper before him, Kakashi sighed as the woman dropped dead. 

"Really?" Kakashi questioned. 

"What?" Sakura wondered innocently. 

"You really needed to get even?" 

"Even?" Sakura furrowed her brows looking confused as a playful smirk baked across her lips. Kakashi shook his head turning back to his side of the fight ignoring the fact, but only for a moment that Sakura was in the lead for most kills. 

\----

"Granny!" Naruto shouted a warning, seeing Malachite running her direction while her back faced him. Naruto pushed himself forward, his feet brushing the ground as he dashed towards his hokage.

The putrid smell of chalky burnt bone choked Naruto making him gasp for air as he pulled his arms around Tsunade, gripping her into a hug as he directed himself between Tsunade and Malachite, all the while Sakura watched from the corner of her eye.

Naruto tightly squeezed his eyes, he waited for pain to enter his body as he smelt the soft fragrance of Tsunade's honey shampoo and felt the warmth her body brought him.

The wet sound of a blade running into a living body echoed inside Naruto's ears. Tsunade turned her head hearing the similar sound but felt no pain.

"Naruto!" Tsunade gasped seeing the bright blond hair, but Naruto's head was turning with a confused expression blooming across his handsome face. He felt no pain, or was it the adrenaline from the battle that blocked out the pain receptors?

"Sa..." Naruto gasped; his stomach dropping as if he was sitting on a roller coaster, vomit threatened to roll up his esophagus. Naruto blinked a few times praying the pink hair before him would vanish from sight.

Sakura stood facing Naruto with wide eyes; her lips parted as Malachite's blade shoved through her lower abdomen. Her chakra naturally flowed to the injury, but she already knew it would fail at healing herself, she had Malachite's poison flowing through her blood stream.

Tsunade's mouth hung open as the battling world around them faded from sight, all Tsunade or Naruto would do was watch as her sweet red blood dripped through her parted lips, down her chin and onto her neck.

"Sakura..." Tsunade found her voice breathed out, she went to move forward but Sakura's smile refroze Tsunade.

"It's going to be ok." Sakura's voice was fragile, almost getting wrapped up inside the sounds of the nearby fighting but Naruto and Tsuande were able to catch them.

"What do you-" Naruto frowned not understanding, he didn't get another moment to think about her words. Sakura flipped around; the blade that penetrated her body sliced through the right side of her torso tearing it wide open.

Horror filling their eyes they watched Sakura turn around and plummet her blade into Malachite's chest, she shattered the orb controlling the returned members of the Nine, as well as slicing the side of his beating heart.

"Re-Reaper." Malachite gasped, staring into Commander Haruno's blaring eyes. "W-Was it wo-worth it?" He knew Sakura couldn't be healed by chakra, her injury to her body would most likely be fatal if not treated right away.

Sakura responded by pulling a kunai from the pouch on her leg, she slammed it into the side of Malachite's head as a spring smile blossomed across her face all her mind could think about in this moment was, rule number one for the zombie apocalypse: double tap.

"Brother!" Naruto turned hearing a familiar voice shout out, a tall man with long brown hair tied back came running towards them. Naruto knew this man to be Malachite's brother and second in command of the reapers. What was his name again?

Naruto couldn't recall it, since at the time of meeting this man, a chakra sucking seal was placed on him and Sakura almost killing them both.

Tsunade watched as Malachite's lifeless body fell backwards off the roof, his sword removed from Sakura she fell to her knees. Naruto quickly got in front of her, blocking her from the new leader of the reapers.

"No!" The brother screamed seeing his brother's body, "Reaper, I will-"

"No, you won't!" Naruto said getting in the way. "I have a bone to pick with you!" Naruto smiled, knowing Tsunade needed to get Sakura to the hospital and treat her wounds.

"Who are you?" Tsunade breathed,

"I am Jadeite, Commander of the Reapers." The man spat out, pulling a twisted blade into sight. "Move out of the way of the Reaper and you might just live to see tomorrow!"

"Go to hell!" Tsunade spat moving to Naruto's side.

"It's your funeral." Jadeite shrugged, with a wave of his hand creatures crawled onto the building, shattering glass as they used them for steps.

"What-?" Tsunade breathed watching them spill around them.

"Any ideas Granny?" Naruto whispered watching as they became surrounded.

"Nothing that would get Sakura to the hospital in the time she needs." Tsunade muttered back.

"Well..." Naruto breathed glancing back at Sakura who held her gushing side, this was the second time she has thrown herself in front of a sword in protect him. "...we need to make time."

"It isn't that simple!" Tsunade snapped.

"In honor of my fallen brother-" Jadeite spoke, catching the leaf hokage and Naruto's attention. "-I am going to crumble this village into the dust!"

Tsunade gasped seeing a large glowing ball hovering over Jadeite's head. It drooled lighting out its sides.

"What the hell is that!?" Naruto yelled out.

"Run!" Sakura yelled, pulling herself to her feet. A creature jumped to attack her, but she was able to get out of its reach but a fraction of a hair. Sakura pushed Naruto and Tsunade off the building as Jadeite through the massive fireball that would incinerate the building and anything standing on it. Naruto and Tsunade jumped off the building as Sakura found herself falling.

The sky lit up against the flames, Kakashi turned his attention in its direction feeling the heat rationing off in his direction. The returned members of the Nine he was keeping at bay had all collapsed, due to being freed from Malachite's control.

"What was that?" Carver wondered, looking away from his unconscious teammates face and towards the glowing sky. Kakashi ignored him seeing a blur of pink falling to the earth, his body turned moving on its own free will. "Where are you going?!" Carver called out.

"Cover the breaches inside the gate." Kakashi said as he ran towards the flames.

"Fine!" Raiden huffed, "Do you want me to get you some iced tea while I'm at it?!"

Kakashi ran through the village, jumping over crumbled buildings and bodies that were beginning their decaying process. Kakashi paused for a moment, his eyes scanned over Malachite's body which laid unmoving inside the shadows of two broken building.

Kakashi grinned, seeing the silver kunai still lodged on the right side of his skull. Kakashi pulled his eyes away, running around the back of the building he saw her laying in the chard grass as the building before them burnt in the night air.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out to her, "You took down Mal-" He tilted his head moving closer to her, she laid unmoving. Kakashi's mind races with answers as to why she would be lying here, had she used to much chakra during this battle? Had she finally hit her wall and needed to sleep for the next three days?

He wouldn't mind laying with her in his large bed for three straight days, in his mind he was already putting together meal plans that he could make her, and picking out movies to binge watch.

Sakura's eyes slowly moved hearing the crunch of footsteps coming towards her. Who had come to finish the job? Was she going to see the face of the person who was finally able to claim her life as their career defining trophy? Sakura felt her heart clinch seeing Kakashi's masked face. No, she didn't want him here.

Sakura had enough medical training to know what her next step was, she didn't want him to be the one to discover her body. She knew the pain of holding the person you love as they take their last breath and the toll of feeling their heart stopping it's beat of life, she didn't want her lifeless eyes to be scared inside his mind like his was for her.

"Ka-Kaka-" Her voice gargled with warm blood that pooled into her mouth.

"Sakura?" Kakashi breathed, he felt the color drain from his face as his eyes landed on the massive wet injury on her torso. "What-" He breathed with a shake of his head he quickly moved to kneel beside her until a sharp pain echoed across his skull stopping him inside his tracks.

Tear's pressed against Sakura's eyes for she could not move to help him.

Kakashi opened his eyes, feeling the drywall inside his head begin to crumble and crack under the sight of Sakura laying in the grass dying. Black dots filled his sight as he struggled to take in breaths. In a hot white flash, everything came flooding back wetting his fingers that had been out reached for months.

Kakashi gasped in deep breaths as the day he kissed her inside the dark forest while her chakra was blocked off quickly snuggled itself into his long term memory, he remembered falling so deeply in love with her. Kakashi looked up towards Sakura, he felt his heart swell with emotion. He understood now why he was so ready to leave the leaf village to be with this woman.

Kakashi dropped to her side as his hands reached out, pressing down painful pressure against her side in an attempt to stop her bleeding, Sakura cried out from the pain.

"I'm sorry." Kakashi breathed, blinking back the tears he felt behind his eyes. He recalled the moment he looked at Sakura and he knew she was the woman he wanted to marry; he fully believed she was his soulmate. "Sakura-" He pulled his eyes to her face, her skin looked almost gray has she stared up into the dark sky. "-hey!" He yelled, pulling her dulled eyes onto him. "Sakura, you're going to be fine." Kakashi said, his shoulders and arms felt like jelly, it didn't matter how hard he pressed against her soft flesh, Sakura's blood slipped between his gloved fingers rushing to sweet freedom.

"Kakashi..." Sakura gasped out, "...stop."

"No." Kakashi shook his head, looking into her eyes. "I remember."

"Re-Remember?"

"You." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I remember everything." Sakura frowned hearing this, she didn't want him to remember their time together. "I remember first seeing you inside Tsunade's office, I can remember our missions together. I remember our Christmas-"

"Ka-"

"I remember picking out that ring for you." Kakashi said, "I wanted to take you out to dinner, have you to myself for a whole day and I planned to watch the sunset with you, then I was going to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me."

"I love you." Sakura gasped out through the pain racking her body.

"I love you too." Kakashi smiled, "That's why you have to be strong just a little longer, until I can get you to-"

"No..."

"Sakura-"

"Kakashi-"

"You're going to be fine."

"I am not." Sakura smiled, "But you are."

"No." Kakashi shook his head, pressing harder against her body trying to keep as much blood inside her as possible. Sakura bit down on her jaw, for a moment she thought her teeth might crack from the amount of force she was placing on them.

"Stop!" Sakura cried out, "Please!"

"I can't, you'll bleed out if I-" Kakashi's voice froze into his throat reading Sakura's face. Kakashi was a smart man, he may be one of the smartest people inside the leaf village but in this moment his brain refused the reality before him.

Using all her remaining strength she was able to shift through the pain that was engulfing everything she was and lift her arm. Kakashi watched as she pulled the chain from under her shirt. Sakura could feel her body was done; it wasn't coming back from the damage dealt this time. She held no more fight left inside her; she wasn't afraid to die, she was just sorry she was leaving him behind.

"Ka-Kashi, will you-"

"No." Kakashi cut her off, removing one of his blood-soaked glove, he wrapped it around Sakura's hand which held her engagement ring Kakashi gave to her before his death. "We are not doing this. You're going to make it; I am getting you to the hospital."

"Kakashi, I am not-"

"You are." Kakashi said removing his hands from her wound and reached under in order to pick her up.

"If you move me, I will bleed out in seconds." Sakura said looking into his panicked eyes.

"I-"

"I love you Kashi." Sakura repeated as tears filled her eyes.

"No." Kakashi shook his head wrapping his arms around her shoulders and leaned over pulling himself closer to her. Kakashi blinked back the tears but they spilt over as he pulled his mask down. Sakura quickly scanned over his exposed face, "You were supposed to be my wife." He breathed moving to hug her once more, burying his face into her neck.

"Thank you-" Sakura smiled, "-for being in my life, you are my best memories."

"Sakura." Kakashi caught his voice before it could squeeze out inside a cry.

"I'm the one who is blessed." Kakashi cupped the side of her face, he used his thumb to wipe the tear that slid down her cheek. "I am sorry I wasn't around for more of it." Its broke Sakura's heart to see pain scribbled across his face in this scattered manner. Kakashi leaned forward, placing his lips against hers. Kissing her didn't feel normal, her lips feel chapped and not buttery soft like usual. Her lips weren't warm like they were a few hours ago inside his apartment, and the taste was an overwhelming metal iron. Kakashi didn't care though, he kissed her like it was the first time he ever kissed her.

Kakashi sniffed pulling away only to wrap her inside a tight embrace, his cheek pressed against the side of her head. After a moment he looked down at her open eyes.

"Sakura?" He breathed, brushing the side of her face with his cold fingers, leaving an imprint of her blood on her cheek. Her eyes didn't move at the sensation of his touch against her face or the sound of his deep voice. "Sakura?" Kakashi repeated, sitting up looking over her body.

Kakashi studied Sakura until his stomach turned sour and vomit demanded an invitation to be let out into the open. Kakashi shoved his face into her pink hair, "No!" His body quaked with the ragged cries that ripped apart his chest. He pulled her tighter against his body, as if he would protect her and keep away death itself.

"No-No-No!" He cried pulling her off the ground and into his lap. "No!" He cried into the night lit by the building on fire; his eyes filled with hot tears as he went completely still and silently waited with his ear pressed against her chest. "NO!" He cried after a minute; Sakura held no heartbeat. "Please." He begged towards the sky as tears fell down his face. "Don't take her too, please no...I can't...I'm not strong enough."


	47. Chapter 47

Time seemed to give Kakashi space, leaving him be as Kakashi remained unmoving by Sakura's side. He reached out and closed her eyes, the lifelessness swirling inside them was too much for him to bare.

"Hey!" An annoying voice threatened to shatter the small bubble Kakashi huddled inside, a bubble where he could still reach out and see Sakura. To him, it almost felt like she was just simply sleeping. "Kakashi!" Naruto called out sounding tired.

"Dude where did you go?!" Raiden added annoyed, "I got your iced tea!" Kakashi reached to his neck and pulled his dark mask over his face. Sakura was the only person to ever see his exposed face, and that was how he wanted to keep it. Kakashi lightly brushed his fingers down her cold face and over her white lips.

"I think it's time baby." Kakashi breathed, reaching under Sakura's body lifting her close to his chest as he turned and numbly began to walk on jelly filled legs. Kakashi fought himself, forcing the tears to settle in the back of his eyes until he was alone again.

"There you are!" Raiden spotted Kakashi walking between two scorched buildings.

"We have been looking for you two for an hour!" Naruto shouted, holding his arms out seeing Kakashi holding Sakura. The masked shinobi ignored the growing group as he walked towards the open stretcher sitting off to the side. The medical shinobi of the leaf were now scouring the village for the injured and dead, so these stretchers were placed everywhere.

"Is she knocked out?" Carver wondered following Kakashi who remained silent.

"She had to have used like all her chakra!" Raiden laughed, "She fucking took down Malachite! The Reapers should now crumble by themselves since they don't have him anymore!"

"Yes." Carver agreed it was a good feeling that swirled around inside his chest, it felt like this long chapter of their lives was finally coming to an end. His team could move on and finally have normal lives, they fought so hard and for so long, it almost didn't seem like this moment would ever come.

"She was able to heal herself?!" Tsunade questioned as she came running towards Kakashi, he was to busy gazing down at Sakura's face, brushing his fingers through her hair to notice people were beginning to gather around.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows seeing a distant look plastered inside Kakashi's one exposed eye.

"She's gone." Kakashi whispered, never removing his eyes from her resting face.

"Who's gone?" Raiden wondered, "Where did they go and when will they be back? We have a lot of clean up to do here and I will not be the only one getting stuck-"

"Raiden." Carver rolled his eyes. "Kakashi what-"

"No." Tsunade breathed, covering her mouth with her hand as her eyes instantly watered. "Your lying!" Tsunade mindless stumbled her foot.

"Huh?" Raiden raised an eyebrow turning to Carver who shrugged feeling just confused.

"I'm not." Kakashi closed his eye, "She bled out."

"How-Wh-Wh-" Tsunade gasped as she quickly rushed to Sakura's side, searching for a pulse with shaky hands.

"Wait..." Raiden looked from Kakashi and then to Tsunade. "She's just sleeping...right?"

"No..." Tsunade cried, hot tears steamed against the cooling dawn sky as she failed at finding a pulse on Sakura's wrist and neck.

"Sakura's...just sleeping right?" Raiden lightly laughed as Naruto moved to Kakashi's side, his heart rate spiked staring at the pinkette laying in the stretcher. Naruto's ears begged for someone to answer Raiden, to confirm his question; Sakura was just asleep!

"No." Tsunade cried, dropping to her knees holding on the side of Sakura's stretcher for support. "S-Sh-She got hurt because of me, i-I was reckless and-" Tsunade weeped.

"She is just sleeping right!?" Raiden snapped looking frantically from Tsunade and then to Kakashi.

"No!" Tsunade yelled, looking at Raiden through watery vision. "She has no pulse, her lungs aren't breathing, there's not blood pumping oxygen through her veins; Sakura is dead!"

"What?"

Carver turned his head, Dawn and Diem were walking towards them. The two commanders of the waterfall village looked scratched up, a little bloody but still breathing. Dawn's eyes scanned over the small group until her eyes landed on the pinkette.

"Sakura?" Dawn called out, moving to her side. "Why-What..." Dawn's brain swam away from the unfathomable idea that Commander Sakura Haruno could be brought down. Through the inflexible years Dawn as known her, hundreds of people came knocking on their front door trying to claim Sakura's life as their own but all had failed. 

Why now? 

What had changed this time? 

Who was able to get close enough let alone take her down?

"What happened!?" Diem shouted as Dawn remained speechless staring at Sakura, waiting for those emerald eyes to open. Dawn's lungs felt compressed as she begged for Sakura to stir awake, this had to all be a misunderstanding. 

Sakura couldn't die; she was to skilled, to strong. She was to bright in this dark world to be snuffed out, Dawn still needed her commander. Dawn blinked trying to stop the flow of tears from entering her eyes but as the thoughts of a future without Sakura leading her multiplied inside her head, Dawn found herself fighting a losing battle. 

"Well!?"

"I-" Tsunade looked towards the ground,

"What happened!?" Diem yelled again, "We trusted you to have her back!"

"We-"

"What the fuck!?" Diem boomed, rage blossoming inside his chest. "We did our job! We were stationed at the break in your gate in order to stop those creatures from getting inside this village. You all had one thing to do, just one and that was to have Sakura's back, so please someone fucking tell me why I am looking at her laying there!"

"She...Malachite-"

"That isn't good enough!" Dawn snapped, "You all are not weak children who needs their hand held. Your village alone holds most of the popular shinobi in the world, so fucking tell us how our Commander is lying there dead!"

"She saved me." Naruto answered, "She blocked Malachite's sword, but was hit with it instead."

"I knew I should have fought her on not coming to this fucking hellhole!" Diem cursed.

"Hey." Raiden defended his new home.

"No!" Diem snapped, "Every fucking times she gets involved with this village she gets fucked over, look at her now!"

"Did she die alone?" Carver whispered holding her right hand in his, he couldn't stop his mind from inspecting this new odd feeling of cold stiffness resonating from her.

"No." Kakashi said, "I with her."

"Then why didn't you have her back?" Carver asked, "You were with her, that's why I didn't come search her out because I knew she was with you. You were suppose to keep her safe-!"

"She broke off from Kakashi." Naruto spoke up with a shaken voice, "She came to my aid."

"Fucking useless." Diem darkly laughed, he refused to look at her body. That broken shell wasn't the commander he followed and respected so highly. Why did she have to return here?

"It's not like I wanted her to jump in my way!" Naruto turned his pain and anger onto Diem,

"Shut the hell up boy." Diem snapped,

"Diem back off!" Raiden backed up Naruto.

"I am not the one who let Sakura fucking die!"

"Naruto isn't the one who killed her!"

"Might as fucking well be!"

"You don't mean that-" Carver butted in, "-your just angry. Knock it off, you all know she would be pissed if she saw us all at each other's throats."

"We don't really need to be worried about that now do we?" Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "Since she is now dead and all."

"Dawn-"

"Your village is the reason my Commander is dead."

"No-" Carver turned, still holding Sakura's stiff hand. "-the Reapers, Malachite those are the reasons. You know she loved this village-"

"Yeah we fucking know." Diem snapped,

"It's not our fault she got tired of playing hunger games inside her own village." Raiden rolled his eyes at Diem snarky comment.

"How about you say that to my face!" Diem shouted.

"What the fuck do you think I am doing!?" Raiden yelled back, "I am not behind you blowing chestnut smoke up your ass-!"

"Enough!" Tsunade yelled over the angery mix of voices, she rose to her feet. As she did so Tsunade turned her focus onto Sakura, she reached out brushing a few strands of pink hair through her fingers. "Your Commander, your friend, your family member just died, show a little respect and let her be buried before you jump down each others throats!"

"Where is Itachi?" Dawn asked.

"You are not taking her back to the Waterfall Village." Raiden stated,

"Like hell we are not." Dawn laughed, "She is our Commander, not yours. Sakura will be buried inside her village."

"Your right." Raiden agreed, "She will be."

"The Leaf is not her village." Diem said,

"Hmm..." Raiden thought for a moment, "...history will say something different, where did she spend all her free time?"

"With her boyfriend."

"Inside the leaf-"

"Kakashi Hatake was leaving the Leaf Village." Dawn announced, "He was going to transfer to the Waterfall Village to be with Sakura, but he died before he could. Tell me, if Kakashi wasn't here would Sakura ever be around?"

"You were going to leave?" Naruto breathed looking at Kakashi's masked face who hadn't moved his eye off Sakura.

"Yes." Kakashi answered.

"But-But why-"

"I was going to marry her Naruto." Kakashi answered, giving him a quick glance.

"You-" Naruto blushed before feeling sharp pain inside his heart, he remembered how broken Sakura was when Kakashi was supposedly killed, how was Kakashi going to fair without her now?

"I think..." Tsunade sighed, "...since Sakura doesn't have any living relatives, Kakashi should be her next of kin-"

"Hell no!" Diem and Dawn protested,

"They were engaged." Tsunade said.

"For like two seconds!" Diem scoffed, "Then he died like a dick!"

"They were together, you know how much Sakura loved him." Tsunade rationalized.

"When she had to power the shields with her chakra-" Carver added, "-Kakashi was the only one who could touch her."

"That is true." Dawn breathed looking at Sakura, she looked like she was sleeping...was everyone sure she wasn't just sleeping? "Fine."

"Fine?!" Diem turned to Dawn.

"She loved him." Dawn looked into Diem's eyes. "He would be the closest thing-"

"What about us!?" Diem called out offended. "We are her family!"

"Diem, this isn't a popularity contest." Dawn sighed, "Kakashi, if you wish you can be appointed Sakura's next of kin."

"This is bullshit." Diem muttered,

"The fact Sakura is even dead is bullshit." Dawn agreed, "But she is and we don't have much time before her body begins to decompose. We need to have a funeral and bury her."

"But he is just going to say she will be buried here-"

"Sakura-" Kakashi said, tilting his head praying to the heavens for those eyes to open. "-should be buried inside the Waterfall Village."

"What!?" Carver and Raiden turned,

"Alright!" Diem said, "Let's go home."

"No!" Carver objected.

"Sakura does have family-" Kakashi said, "-but she is to young to be given all these responsibilities."

"Huh?" Naruto said,

"Who the fuck-"

"Annistyn." Kakashi said, turning to the grief riddled group.

"You know about her?" Dawn questioned.

"Of course." Kakashi said, "Sakura and I talked about me meeting her soon."

"Kakashi..." Naruto breathed.

"Sakura would want to be buried where Annistyn could visit her." Kakashi cleared his throat. "The child already lost one mother, and she is about to lose another."

"Your..." Diem said, "...Your a good man, I am glad you were with her."

"Yeah." Kakashi swallowed down the rising emotions swirling inside his chest like a fury filled tornado.

"This is not the good morning I thought I would be getting." The group turned seeing a woman moving to join their little gathering.

"Piper!" Raiden weakly smiled seeing his teammate had awoken.

"Hey." The red head waved but she ignored the group. "Is she really...?"

"Yeah." Carver breathed, turning back to Sakura. "She's gone."

"That's fucked up." Piper shook her head, "We return only for her to die?"

"You remember everything?" Tsunade wondered,

"For the most part." Piper said,

"Everyone else is...?"

"Still knocked out." Piper answered, "Lucky bastards, they are in for one hell of a shock when they wake up."

"Yeah." Carver agreed.

"Who killed her?" Piper wondered,

"Malachite."

"That bastard?"

"That dead bastard." Carver corrected.

"She got him?"

"Yeah, before he got her."

"That's Sakura for you."

"That it is..." Carver nodded. "...can we at least have the funeral here?"

"I don't see why not." Dawn said, "Sakura's funeral inside the Waterfall Village would be a headache anyway."

"So since Sakura is gone now-" Carver thought, "-that makes you Commander of the Waterfall Village?" Everyone turned to Dawn who painted a weak smile.

"Yes."

"Those soldiers are going to be after you now." Carver said.

"I know." Dawn said.

"Are you...Are you ready for that?"

"No." Diem answered, "Sakura could keep them at bay but now that it's just me and Dawn they might overrun us."

"What would happen if that occured?" Tsunade dared to wonder,

"The Waterfall Village will be destroyed-" Diem's voice was grim. "-and Purgatory will rise."

"How-" Tsunade went to question more into the waterfall village; the village Sakura builts fate until Dawn dashly pulled up a dome around the group. Kakashi looked around, it appeared similar to Sakura's. Fire rained down around the dome, Naruto looked all around not understanding what was going on. The fight was over, Malachite was dead and the reapers were no more...right?

Dawn pushed the dome outward, moving the boiled flames with it. Tsunade and Kakashi looked all around them, shielding Sakura's body by instinct as their eyes spotted a figure on a roof, the same one that Malachite and Sakura held their last standoff.

"Not you." Diem groaned, Jadeite stood against the morning sun with a small group of seven reapers behind him. "Go away."

"I warned you-" Jadeite called out to Tsunade, "-I told you to back away from the Reaper but you stood against me, so now your beloved village will fall to its knees and bow to me!"

"I am so tired of these unstable individuals thinking they can just come into a village and be all high and mighty." Raiden said pulling out his sword, the seven reapers took off running into the village.

"Hey!" Raiden yelled running after them. "Head starts are for sore losers!" 

Kakashi moved to go after Jadeite but felt himself hesitate glancing back at Sakura, he didn't feel right about leaving her alone.

"She will be fine." Dawn said, seeing Kakashi pause. Kakashi stared at Sakura for a long second before turning, running after Dawn and Tsunade.

\----

Tsunade, Kakashi, along with the two commanders of the waterfall village tracked Jadeite for three blocks. The new leader of the Reapers stood inside the training grounds with a sneer for a smile on his face, waiting for the shinobi to catch up.

"I was beginning to think-" Jadeite started, but was cut off by Kakashi and his lighting blade slicing the air where Jadeite stood. Kakashi's dark gray eye glowed with a painful rage as his sharingan reflected raw power.

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled running towards the fight between Jadeite, Kakashi, Tsunade and the two waterfall commanders. "What-" Naruto watched as Kakashi landed his kunai in Jadeite's back, instead of the expected cry or angry scream Jadeite vanished inside a puff of cloudy smoke.

"What?!" Kakashi gasped.

"How?" Dawn breathed looking Diem in the eye.

"Sakura." Tsunade stated, feeling beads of dread spilling into her chest. The collection of shinobi didn't take another precious second before sprinting off in the direction they left the pink cherry blossom.

"Where are we going?!" Naruto yelled trying to keep with his sensei, no one responded as they dropped down on the block they had left her body. Kakashi's heart was pounding in his chest and with wide eyes he took in Jadeite standing on the building Malachite lost his life on.

"Run." Dawn said looking at the large ball of destruction collecting over Jadeite's head, wind was being pulled into the changing colored sphere as fuel.

"Sakura-!" Kakashi ran towards her without a care in the world for his safety.

"You moron!" Diem shouted over the roaring winds, Diem and Naruto grabbed Kakashi's arms and dragged him into a nearby store. Dawn held the door open staring at the sphere, she begged the three men with her eyes to move faster. Diem threw Kakashi inside the room, he quickly helped his cousin slammed the door shut as Jadeite lowered the massive bomb onto the leaf village.

"Get down!" Naruto yelled feeling the raw energy vibrating inside the air. He ducked down as the glass windows of the store shattered, heat gushed inside the building. Dawn threw up another dome trying to keep the hungry flames for scorching them up for dinner.

\----

"Naruto?" Tsunade's voice opened Naruto's crystal blue eyes, he was lying on his side coated in dust, debris and pieces of shattered glass.

"Granny?" Naruto asked looking around, as he sat up his lungs gasped out and forced him into a fit of coughing. "Wha-What happened?"

"Jadeite, he set of a bomb."

"A-A bomb!?" Naruto coughed harder as he forced himself to rise to his feet. "What-"

"We were so close to the blast sight, Dawn tried to protect us with her shield but that failed."

"We all got hit with it?"

"Yes, we were all propelled against the wall. Raiden had a shard of glass puncture his leg but other than that, we are all alright."

"Where is he?"

"He was rushed to the hospital by Carver."

"How long was I out?" Naruto blinked gazing around the destroyed store. The windows were shattered, bits of glass laid everywhere as the front wall was blown away.

"Not long." Tsunade sighed as she got up, she already could feel her body aching from the pain of being shot back against the wall.

"Where is Kakashi-Sensei?"

"He..." Tsunade sighed, "...come on." Tsunade turned moving from the building. Naruto didn't ask why, for once he simply did as told and followed the blonde outside. The street appeared as if a tornado came and rolled around.

"Wow..."

"Yeah." Tsunade agreed, it was going to take months to repair the village. Naruto saw from over Tsunade's shoulder where Kakashi, Dawn and Diem had wandered off too. Kakashi kneeled in front of a burnt stretcher that was flipped onto its side.

"What happened?" Naruto pulled his eyebrows together.

"Sakura." Tsunade said her name and instant tears formed, she quickly cleared her throat. "Her body was destroyed in the explosion."

"Wh-What!?" Naruto breath hitched as he quickly turning to Kakashi. 

Dawn and Diem stood behind him looking towards the ground, their faces told their story on how the felt. They believed they failed their beloved commander today, they were unable to protect her when she needed them to, they couldn't stop Jadeite from getting away and they couldn't even keep her body in tact to be laid to rest.

"Shh." Tsunade said pulling Naruto into a hug as he began to involuntary cry. Naruto's chest was over filling with dread kissed emotions, making him feel like even though he and his beloved village was still standing in the aftermath, he still failed here today.

"We-We can-can't even bury her!" Naruto cried into Tsunade's shoulder.

"I know." The blonde hokage breathed, blinking back her tears. "But we can remember her."

"She-She was so young and-" Naruto cut himself with a shake of his head, he didn't want to finish his own thought. Naruto didn't want the gruesome details making themselves known, but they were slipping through against his will anyway. Sakura dying at the young age of Twenty Two, she had so much more living to do. This world still needed someone as strong as she was to change it for the better. "-she's never going to get married, or have a family..." Naruto glanced over towards Kakashi.

"Now is not the time." Tsunade cleared her throat pulling away from Naruto, "Our village is in pieces, we have missing shinobi, multiple breaks in our border and the Reapers are still a threat. We need to be on guard now more than ever."

"What-What do we do?" Naruto asked, tearing his large blue eyes from his broken sensei.

"We need to first secure our gates." Tsunade answered, "Can I trust you to go find Sasuke and do this for me?"

"Yeah..."

"Naruto-" Tsunade called as the blond shinobi turned. 

"Yes Granny?"

"We will mourn her tomorrow." Tsunade said, "We will hold a memorial in her name but until then I need you to focused." Naruto nodded before turning breaking into a light run, his eyes against his will turned brushing over the fallen over stretcher that was burnt and melted, Naruto's heart clenched as he forced his eyes forward trying to keep his mind on his task at hand.

"One step at a time." Naruto breathed to himself, on his way to check on his parents, track down Sasuke and then get to the gate and start damage control.


	48. Chapter 48

"I never thought I would be alive to see this day." Carver said, tears filled his eyes as he turned to Raiden's tight face. Carver reached over, wrapping a strong arm around his friend as Raiden broke down, fresh hot tears spilled down his sculpted face as he shook his head back and forth.

"This has to be a dream." Raiden gasped through the ragged cries that painfully escaped his chest.

"It's not-" Carver breathed, watching the preacher speak words soft words on Sakura's behalf. "-even if it was, this would a nightmare not a dream."

"I can't-" Raiden breathed out, pulling his eyes away from the preacher who stood beside a large picture of Sakura. "-this isn't right."

"I know." Carver agreed.

"She was so young."

"That's how it goes." Carver agreed, looking around at the large crowd who sat in rows of white folding chairs. Carver gazed around at the training grounds, Kakashi did a fabulous job at planning this event in the short amount of time he had. Carver almost couldn't even make out this area, it was filled with the sweet scent flowers and light décor.

Carver turned back around in his seat, glancing at Naruto as he did so. Naruto hadn't spoken in two days; Carver could see the raging guilt eating him from the inside out. Tsunade and Naruto were the reasons everyone was sitting here. Sakura died to protect them, but it was her choice so why did Carver's chest feel like it was about to burst open with the swirling rage filling him like air being pumped into a balloon?

"Carver?" Raiden whispered through his tears.

"Hm?"

"You stopped talking."

"What was I saying?" Carver lightly smirked looking back at his teammate.

"You said that's how it goes?"

"Oh-" Carver nodded, "-yeah...I just meant that the good ones always die too young."

"Oh." Raiden nodded. "That is true, just look at our team."

"They are alive now?"

"But we thought for years that they were dead so...my statement still stands."

"Mhm." Carver hummed looking ahead at the front row where Kakashi, Tsunade, Dawn and Diem sat. Carver's heart ached seeing Sakura's picture propped up with light blue flowers decorating the frame, Carver's stomach felt sour wishing to wake up from a nightmare that had no end in sight.

Tsunade sniffed, dabbing her eyes with a tissue Dan had given to her. The hokage turned to sneak a peek at Kakashi who seemed so unaffected, he held his composure as he stared ahead at Sakura's picture. For a man who just lost the woman he claimed to want to marry, he didn't act like he just lost his soulmate to death.

Raiden leaned forward, tapping Kakashi lightly on the shoulder.

"We are still going to her house after this right?" Raiden wanted to confirm again for the sixth time.

"Yes." Kakashi answered. "Itachi will take us all there."

"Why are we going again?" Carver wondered.

"I am in charge of all her affairs." Kakashi answered, "I have to deal with her house."

"What?" Carver asked, "Like sell it?"

"Possibly."

"You're not selling-!?" Carver raised his voice, pulling attention onto him. He looked around and gave a weak smile and a nod apologizing for interrupting the service.

"I don't want to sell her house." Kakashi clarified, "If one of her Commander's or Annistyn wishes to live inside it than fine, but it can't just be left-"

"Why not?" Raiden felt assaulted, he wanted to get rid of Sakura's home!

"Because-" Kakashi went to answer but the preacher cleared his throat, tired of the low conversation.

"We will talk about this later." Tsunade butted in, "Now hush."

Carver and Raiden leaned back in their chests with a huff puffing out their chest, Raiden was determined to keep Sakura's house intact in the way she left it. Carver sighed licking his lips, he didn't know how to feel. Sakura's house was their home for such a long time, it was their haven after long missions and to see it get sold and for someone else to live inside it just felt...wrong.

\----

"It was a beautiful service." Iruka commented to Kakashi who nodded, they stood beside a table with different types of food and drinks.

"Yes." Guy agreed walking up, "Sakura would have loved it." Once again, Kakashi simply nodded acknowledging the two shinobi's presence and their words.

"Excuse me." Kakashi said, turning on his heel walking quickly away. Iruka and Guy watched the silver hair fade into the mingling crowd with worried expressions painted openly on their faces.

Kakashi moved through the crowd, people patted his shoulder giving him their condolences and complimenting what a good job he had done with the memorial. Kakashi nodded, his throat swollen with pain as he walked away from the crowd. He didn't want praise, he just wanted her back.

"That's shit!" A voice snapped out, Kakashi turned his head looking through a set of trees where the voice originated from.

"What was that?" Tsunade wondered coming up from behind Kakashi.

"I don't know." Kakashi answered; he wouldn't stand for people fighting here. This may be the training grounds, but today it was a place where people could honor Commander Sakura Haruno for giving her life to protecting this village. Kakashi moved hard towards the trees, there would be nothing, but respect shown here today!

Tsunade and Kakashi walked in heavy silence, she kept glancing at Kakashi feeling worried seeing a freezing gaze in his exposed eye. The two shinobi walked into a clearing and discovered, the returned members of the Nine, Dawn, Diem and Carver and Raiden all bickering with each other in tight tones.

"How about you give me a plan that isn't fucking coated in pixie dust!" Diem snapped.

"What is going on!?" Tsunade called out, moving towards the group.

"This is my cousin who is now a fucking target!" Diem ignored Tsunade, Kakashi's eye widened instantly understanding what this fighting topic was about. Dawn was the commander of the waterfall village now that Sakura was gone, those soldiers will be going after her in order to raise Purgatory.

"What are you two doing here?" Carver questioned watching Tsunade and Kakashi move closer, "You should be out there with-"

"What is going on?" Tsunade repeated herself, she hated having to repeat herself! Carver took in a deep breath, letting it exhale inside the shape of a long sigh.

"Diem is worried."

"Worried?" Kakashi asked,

"Yes." Raiden yawned, "He is worried he and Dawn won't be strong enough to keep the Waterfall soldiers at bay like Sakura did-" Her name sent painful tingles through Kakashi's chest.

"If Purgatory rises..." Tsunade breathed, "...the Waterfall Village will be burnt down?"

"Yeah." Carver answered, "Then it's only a matter of time until Purgatory spills out infecting the other villages."

"That's why the Sand Village was so concerned..." Tsunade realized.

"Yeah." Raiden nodded, "But Sakura was able to wrangle it in before those soldiers could touch the Sand Village, then she disbanded it and created the Waterfall Village in its place."

"Take us with you then." Piper called over the voices.

"What?" Carver turned, "Hell no!"

"Why not?"

"Because that hellhole is no place for you six to recover!" Raiden answered,

"It was Sakura's village." Finn countered.

"But-" Raiden rubbed the back of his head. "-But it-"

"Take us." Octavia agreed, "At least until we tame those soldiers."

"It isn't how it was when you six were last there." Dawn said, "It's rougher and-"

"Are you saying you don't think we can handle ourselves?" Piper challenged.

"Th-That isn't-" Dawn sighed seeing the offended spread across their faces.

"Sakura was the one who trained us." Octavia cut in, Kakashi flinched at her name once more. "You have to give us a little more credit than that."

"I'm not saying you six wouldn't be safe, it's just you all returned and when the Leaf Shinobi returned, they were sore and couldn't use their own chakra for weeks. You need time to recover and the Waterfall Village isn't-"

"If we don't go with you-" Finn cut in, "-you could be killed."

"I know." Dawn breathed,

"Then Diem is next, then what will happen next?" Piper added, "Purgatory will rise, the other villages will have to get involved and try to take them down, the village Sakura worked so hard to create would be gone and a lot of people will die."

"Take us." Carver breathed the words.

"Huh?" Raiden added, furrowing his brows together not expecting to hear this from Carver.

"Absolutely not!" Tsunade stepped in, "You two are leaf shinobi! You are not-"

"They need us." Carver turned to Tsunade.

"Sakura trusted you two to this village." Tsunade breathed, tears pressing the back of her eyes. "I will not allow you to return-"

"We are not returning; we are simply going there as back up. The moment Dawn announces Sakura has died; those soldiers will be all over her."

"Carver's right." Raiden sighed, "This is the only way to stop a war from breaking out and pointless death."

"I don't like this." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest.

"It would only be until we get control over the Waterfall Village." Diem said,

"You're sure that you this is what you want to do?" Tsunade turned to Carver and Raiden.

"Hell no." Carver darkly laughed, "I never wanted to step foot inside that village again, I wanted Sakura to move here and us write off that hellhole-"

"Hey." Dawn defended.

"-but Piper is right, this would be the best way to prevent a lot of people from dying."

"Very well." Tsunade sighed, "You two may go and station inside the Waterfall Village but only until they do not need your help anymore, understand!?"

"Yes." Carver and Raiden smiled.

"We can stay in Sakura's house." Raiden turned to Kakashi, "The Nine use to live there-"

"I know." Kakashi nodded.

"Thanks." Raiden gave a weak smile.

"Alright." Carver sighed, "Let's go find Itachi and have him send us."

"Well can I pack a bag first!?" Raiden whined earning a few chuckles. The group moved from the forest stepping back into the opening where the memorial service for Sakura was being held, the Nine went to search out Itachi as Carver and Raiden moved to head home, to pack a bag and say goodbye to the friends and the village they had grown to hold so dear.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tsunade questioned Kakashi.

"They will be fine."

"I meant you going to her house." Tsunade said, placing her hands on her hips. "There's not a point in you going since the Nine will be occupying her house."

"Dawn requested I go."

"Why?"

"I am not sure." Kakashi shrugged. "I guess I will find out her reasoning when we get there."

"I don't like this Kakashi."

"We will be fine."

"Your taking your team with you." Tsunade demanded, Kakashi lightly chuckled.

"I had planned on taking Naruto with me, to say his goodbyes."

"Oh..."

"Kakashi let's go! We found Itachi!"

"You're not going to stay for the remainder of her-"

"She isn't here Tsunade." Kakashi glanced back at the blonde as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

"Well of course not, but this is for her memory-"

"I only did all this for you-" Kakashi smiled under his mask, "-and for the village's sake."

"But you-"

"She never wanted a funeral." Kakashi said, "She hated them."

"Kakashi..."

"She told me to simply cremate her body and then have everyone close to her go on vacation with the money it would have costed for a funeral."

"That...That sounds like something she would say." Tsunade smiled, Kakashi nodded turning from his hokage and walked towards the direction of people waiting beside Itachi for a free ride.

\----

"I feel like a taxi." Itachi muttered, walking through his portal that opened outside Sakura's house that stood inside the waterfall village.

"Nah." Raiden laughed patting Itachi's back, "Taxi's get paid, you don't!" 

Carver snickered as he walked past Itachi who grumped with an annoyed look on his face. Kakashi looked up at the house as he moved onto the wooden porch, remembering the day so clearly when he walked up to this very same door after traveling a straight week just to see her face.

Dawn held a spare key; she opened the door letting the group pile into the familiar home before entering it herself. Kakashi inhaled a deep breath closing his eye, he could smell her scent lingering to the building, fresh lilacs mixed with vanilla sea salt.

"It looks the same?" Lance muttered looking around the only real home he felt safe inside.

"That's because it is." Raiden smiled, gazing around feeling the familiarity Sakura provided.

"Our rooms are still here?" Piper wondered,

"Yes."

"She never-"

"We didn't let her." Carver sighed,

"Carver...we were dead-"

"But now you're not so..." Raiden cleared his throat. "...let it go."

"So why did we need to come?" Naruto muttered, not really understanding Dawn's persistent attitude for the two members of team seven to tag along. Kakashi didn't need to deal with Sakura's house, at least not yet anyway.

"Right." Dawn sighed, "This way-" Dawn pointed, moving in the direction of Sakura's office. Kakashi glanced at the wall to his right, the same one he had pinned her against and made hot steamy love on.

Naruto and Kakashi followed Dawn without much argument. Naruto sighed, recalling the argument he held with Sakura inside this room. Kakashi leaned against the wall looking around Sakura's office, Naruto looked at her desk. He brushed his fingers along the dark wood and tilted his head, seeing the multiple containers of different pens.

"Why does she have so many pens?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"She loved them." Dawn answered moving to the wall.

"She...She what?" Naruto laughed; Dawn turned holding two cream colored envelope.

"Sakura, she loved pens. I don't know why or when she picked up the hobby, but she collected them."

"Really?" Naruto laughed picking one blue one up.

"Yes, Kakashi-" Dawn turned to the masked man holding out one of the letters. Naruto looked at it, his heart dropped as Kakashi took it.

"What is this?" Kakashi questioned scanning over Sakura's handwriting on the face of the envelope.

"A letter-" Dawn answered, "-from Sakura."

"What?" Kakashi gasped looking up at the commander as his heart fluttered.

"She wrote a few-" Dawn gestured to the wall were three more were resting, "-in case she died."

"Who are those for?" Naruto wondered moving to Kakashi's side.

"This one-" Dawn said holding up the one in her hand, "-is for Carver and Raiden."

"And those?" Naruto said looking at the three waiting to be delivered to their owners.

"Diem, Annistyn and myself." Dawn answered.

"What do they say?" Naruto asked,

"I don't know." Dawn answered, "Sakura never told anyone what was written inside, she simply asked me to hand them out if she ever was to die."

"I see." Kakashi breathed looking at the cream colored letter in his hand. "Thank you."

"I have to give this to Carver and Raiden so if you wish to open yours now, you can stay in here."

"Thank you Dawn." Kakashi answered, she nodded before taking her exit from the room.

"Can we open it now?" Naruto breathed once the office door was closed. "Please!?" He didn't want to wait to get home to see what Sakura's last words were!

"Yes." Kakashi answered, already opening the creamy paper.

"Yes!" Naruto breathed hovering on Kakashi's left side, Kakashi's hands were almost shaking as he pulled out the folded paper with Sakura's handwriting written on the front.

Team Seven,

If you're reading this letter than that means I have fallen in battle. Now that I'm not around anymore your team and village need to prepare and understand I am not in the shadows watching over you. My seals are not placed on your arm acting as a safety net, your reckless and never think before jumping into a battle and I can no longer rush in as your last line of defense.

I pray that before I died, I was able to bring the Reaper's down, so you don't have to absorb the burden I failed at stopping. I am proud of who you have become Team Seven, being back inside the Leaf Village were my best moments and you guys are my favorite people. That is why I wrote this letter for you, to remind you all to think before jumping into a fight, to watch each other's backs since I can no longer do it for you. Be safe, stay strong and I will see you all again someday. 

Sakura Haruno

Naruto looked up at Kakashi with bubble tears in his large blue eyes, he sniffed quickly wiping his nose on his long sleeve jacket.

"She loved us so much." Naruto cried, his tears spilling down his face, but his heart felt warm and full.

"That she did." Kakashi agreed looking at the letter, scanning over her handwriting with his eye. These were the last words from her he will ever have.

Kakashi and Naruto snapped around hearing painful cries coming from behind the wall. The two-leaf shinobi quickly exited the office and ran towards the roaring sounds of pain. In the living room, Raiden was balling his eyes out. Naruto quickly looked around not understanding what had happened.

"Wha-" Naruto went to question, but he was stopped by Kakashi who gestured to Carver on the couch who leaned forward, his elbows rested on his knees. His head was facing the floor held up by his right arm and in his left hand rested the letter from Sakura delivered by Dawn. "Oh." Naruto understood now as he wiped his wet eyes.

"It's ok." Diem said kneeling on his knees, rubbing Raiden's back. It was strange for Naruto to see Diem looking so...sympathetic. Kakashi sat beside Carver, wondering how he was doing but Kakashi's curiosity got the better of him. His sharp eye scanned over the letter tilted down in his grasp.

'Our family is torn but I am proud of what we had built-' were the only words Kakashi could capture before Carver moved, clearing his throat painting a fake smile on his face.

"Hey." Carver nodded at Kakashi.

"Hey." Kakashi said, casually acting as if he hadn't snuck a peek at Carver's personal letter.

"She would-" Carver laughed,

"Huh?"

"-do something like this-" Carver folded the letter in his hands. "-one last punch in the gut."

"I don't think that is why she left them." Kakashi said.

"I know." Carver weakly smiled but his eyes filled with tears. "She just wanted to make sure we would all be ok, even after she died." Kakashi wrapped an arm around Carver pulling him into an embrace as his tears broke through the dam he built, Carver cried on Kakashi's shoulder as the pain of losing his best friend and little sister grasped him and squeezed tightly, making him feel like he almost couldn't breathe.

Dawn and the members of the Nine walked into the living room after an hour, giving team seven Carver and Raiden time to cry together and accept the pain inside their heart for the fallen friend.

"I remember the day I met her." Dawn said walking into the room, setting a twenty-four pack of beer on the coffee table.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up with bloodshot eyes.

"Sakura." Dawn smiled sitting on the floor. "We were inside the Waterfall's training grounds, years were being shoved down my throat and my head always felt like it was being cracked open like an egg."

"The one in the other dimension?" Naruto wondered.

"Yes." Dawn nodded, "I was in that nightmare for, nine years I think before Sakura gave me the final test to leave and return home."

"Really?" Carver didn't know this story.

"Yup." Dawn cracked open a can of beer. "I failed the test."

"W-What!?" Carver laughed. "No way!"

"It's true."

"I thought you passed it with flying colors!" Raiden said his tears drying a little accepting the distraction.

"Nope." Dawn shook her head, "I failed it horribly, that is when I first met Sakura."

"Did she help you?" Naruto asked getting a beer for himself.

"No." Dawn smiled at her memories, "She yelled at me told me to get back in line, I was going to do another round of training inside that hell."

"R-Really?" Naruto was shocked to say the least, this was her second in commander. Naruto thought they were best friends!

"I didn't want to." Dawn went on, "I was about to quit but Sakura yelled at me to get back to marching in line and to shut the fuck up."

"She-She said that!?"

"Yeah, she didn't let anyone quit until they passed her final test." Dawn explained.

"H-How are you her second then!?" Naruto was so confused.

"I was inside those training grounds for so long..." Dawn breathed staring into the can in her hand. "...when I finally passed the second time around, and I was released to freedom I didn't cope well. I remember collapsing to the ground with the other soldiers, but my brain wouldn't compact back together, I remember feeling like something was pulling my brain apart."

"You're not answering my question." Naruto muttered.

"She's getting there." Diem lightly kicking Naruto's foot. "Shut up, let her tell the story."

"Sorry." Naruto muttered leaning closer to Kakashi, instinctually feeling safer beside him.

"I thought I was going to die that day." Dawn continued, "I could hear Sakura yelling at us to stand, people were getting up and began marching back to the village, but I couldn't move, I felt frozen in place. I felt her move towards my direction, I thought for sure she was going to kill me and move on with her way, but out of nowhere she kneeled down beside me and...hugged me."

"She...huh?" Naruto tilted his head.

"I know, I was so confused, but she did. I was nobody to her, I was a soldier who failed the test and barely passed it a second time and yet here she was beside me, hugging me. I don't know what she did or how I did it, but I was able to pull myself together."

"Wow." Naruto breathed.

"Sakura was the light inside this darkness, she kept us all sane." Dawn grinned, "The day she came to me and asked me of all the people inside this village to be her second in command I felt so honored."

"I never felt prouder." Diem smiled.

"Yeah." Dawn laughed; tears filled her eyes as she pulled her face together trying to stop the flow from starting. "She taught us everything we know, the day she picked me, and Diem to be her Commanders was the day I was born."

"She had that effect." Carver agreed, "She had this way about her, to make you feel so special."

"Yeah." Raiden nodded quickly blinking his wet eyes. "Damn it's gonna suck without her."

"Yeah." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"You two should probably get back." Carver turned to Naruto and Kakashi.

"What?" Naruto didn't like this idea, he wanted to hear more stories about Sakura. "But-"

"You're right." Kakashi agreed, "The village is wide open for attack right now and we are still short on shinobi."

"Right." Naruto sighed getting up, as Naruto and Itachi got ready to return home Kakashi walked into Sakura's bedroom. Her scent was starting to fade and would soon be gone forever, he looked around her room, remembering the time he spent in here with her.

"Kakashi." Dawn's voice called from behind him, Kakashi turned around.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Hm?"

"For loving her." Dawn clarified, but Kakashi still felt confused.

"She died loving you, all I wanted for her was to find someone." Dawn sighed, ready for today to end so she could crawl into her bed and silently cry into the night.

"Thank you for having her back when I couldn't." Kakashi said.

"There was nothing we could do...right?" Dawn asked, Kakashi watched guilt toasted tears fill her eyes. He sighed, reaching out and pulled her into a hug.

"No." He answered, his heart aching and the feel of this woman in his arms felt wrong, like he was somehow cheating on Sakura. "There was nothing we could have done to save her."

"Then why do I feel like I failed her?"

"Because you loved her-" Kakashi said, "-but she died anyway, and we all need time to learn how to live without her."

"I don't think I can do that."

"You have to."

"But-"

"She trusted you-" Kakashi said, "-you of all people with the village she built, she knew should she ever died in battle, the Waterfall Village would still be standing because it had you and Diem keeping it together."

"I'm not strong enough-" Dawn shook her head.

"You are, because she trained you to be." Kakashi's voice was strong and stable, Dawn leaned on them.

"I don't feel-"

"You're not going to." Kakashi said, pulling away from her. "Not until you have accepted her death, not until you have made room in your life for her loss."

"Thank you, Kakashi." Dawn looked at his masked face, Kakashi smiled with his closed eye and Dawn felt her heart flutter seeing the expression. Her cheeks blushed as she looked away from him, clearing her throat. "You should get back to the Leaf Village, just in case..."

"Your right." Kakashi nodded, "Thank you for taking care of her home."

"Yeah." Dawn said not making eye contact as he slides past her, she caught a sniff of his scent, her heart fluttered inside her ribcage, she touched her chest not understanding these new emotions. What was this?

"Are you ready?" Itachi asked Kakashi once he was in sight, Kakashi nodded as his response moving to stand beside Naruto. Dawn quickly reached the living room in time to see Itachi's portal opening, Naruto waved goodbye to Carver and Raiden. Dawn watched with wide eyes as Kakashi moved into the portal vanishing from sight, her heart felt heavier now that he was gone.

"If you need anything-" Itachi's voice pulled Dawn's attention. "-don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks." Carver smiled.

"Do you...Do you want me to return when you tell Annistyn about Sakura?" Itachi questioned.

"I can handle it." Dawn answered, "I need you inside the Leaf Village just in case, the Reaper's are still a threat and I have a feeling they will carry a grudge against the Leaf for Sakura killing Malachite."

"I wouldn't doubt that." Itachi sighed, "Give me a call later?"

"Of course." Dawn nodded, Itachi turned walking into the dark portal that would whisk him back to the Leaf Village that had fallen to pieces.

\----

Kakashi walked into his apartment, after returning home from the Waterfall Village he and this team helped with the village clean up until his body was tired and his muscles were sore. His stomach growled out for substance and his eye burned with the urge to sleep. He closed his front door locking it as he always did, he turned facing his apartment and dropped to the floor, his legs gave out.

Kakashi gasped in and out for precious oxygen, his eye wide as Sakura's face reflected inside his tears. He ripped his black mask down feeling suffocated, tearing the material of his mask as he did so. Kakashi could feel his heart pounding hard on the front of his ribcage, he clenched his chest in pain as he felt cold. His blood felt like it had been replaced with wet cement weighing him down as tears flowed down his face.

Kakashi kneeled on his knees, his forehead resting against the floor as he felt the pain fully hit him head on. Kakashi didn't feel safe anymore, like his self security got burnt up along with Sakura. He felt her ring resting inside his pocket, guilt rained down on him as he resented himself for cutting her off as she went to propose to him.

Why hadn't he let her finish her sentence?

Why couldn't he just have said yes to her instead of rudely cutting her off?

Did she die feeling he didn't love her?

Kakashi cried into the wooden floor, he grinded his teeth against the pain that racked his body. Kakashi opened his eye feeling he had failed Sakura, the one person he wanted to make proud of him he allowed her to die inside his hands.

Kakashi sat up holding his arms out, wondering why he had let Sakura get so close to him in the first place, every time he holds a woman inside his arms, they died. He was where she was supposed to be the safest, and yet she died inside his embrace much like Rin had done when they were children.

'Father-' Kakashi's mind wondered, '-is this how you felt?' Kakashi understood then, why his father took his own life, this kind of pain...it was too much for even him to endure. Kakashi reached to his leg, feeling the slick kunai between his fingers he released it from its home inside his weapons pouch. Kakashi held the familiar kunai in his hand, as he stared at it, it felt more like a friend than a weapon...

'Don't you fucking do it.'

Kakashi's eyes widened, hearing her voice so clear. He quickly looked around but saw nothing but an empty apartment welcoming him home. Kakashi's heart squeezed, the small sliver of hope he felt shivered up and evaporated from his reach.

Kakashi's eyes filled with tears, he choked on his voice throwing the kunai he fell backwards onto his ass as he cradled his face in his hands as cries ripped from his chest filling his quiet apartment. All he wanted in this world was to lay beside her in his bed one more time and run his fingers along the strands of her pink hair.


	49. Author's Note

Hello you fantastic Jommies!

Book One of the Haruno's series is finally completed! I was not expecting to change the storyline as much as I did but I love how it turned out, I hope you all did as well.

Book Two: The Woman who Climbed from Cinder is posted with a few available chapters! 

Stay calm and Jommy on!

Sarah


End file.
